| McDermott Will & Emery LLP | |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Chicago, Illinois |
| No. of offices | 16 |
| No. of attorneys | 1088 |
| No. of employees | about 2,300 |
| Major practice areas | General practice |
| Revenue | $966 million USD(2008) [1] |
| Date founded | February 2, 1934 |
| Founder | Edward H. McDermott and William M. Emery |
| Company type | Limited liability partnership |
| Website | |
| www.mwe.com | |
McDermott Will & Emery LLP, also known by its initials, MWE, was founded in 1934 and is an international law firm headquartered in Chicago. It is one of the top 10 largest law firms in the United States and one of the 20 largest in the world.[2] McDermott is a diversified business practice representing a wide range of commercial, industrial and financial enterprises, both publicly and privately held. The firm also houses the largest tax practice in the United States.
Contents |
Currently numbering nearly 1,100 lawyers with 580 partners, McDermott has sixteen offices across the United States and in Europe. McDermott currently advises more than 60% of the Fortune 100 and more than 50% of the Fortune 500 companies, and is one of the 20 largest law firms globally.[3] McDermott Will & Emery represents clients in 70 countries across 6 continents, with 45 different languages spoken.[4]
McDermott offers clients counsel in a variety of practice areas and industries, including: accounting, agriculture, architecture and engineering, broadcasting, commercial and investment banking, construction, consumer finance, distribution, financial services, food and beverage processing, healthcare, insurance, investment syndication, life sciences and biotechnology, manufacturing, media, mining, oil and gas, publishing, real estate, retailing, savings and loans, technology, telecommunications, utilities and venture capital.
McDermott's client base breakdown, from the firm's top 250 clients:[4]
Founding the firm in 1934, Chicago lawyers Edward H. McDermott and William M. Emery initially specialized in tax law; a corporate department was established when Howard H. Will joined the firm in 1941. As the century progressed, the firm added capabilities across the legal spectrum, eventually opening eight more offices on both coasts. By 1984, the firm numbered 150 lawyers; over the ensuing 20 years, however, the firm underwent a significant growth spurt—by the firm's 70th anniversary in 2004, McDermott numbered over 1,000 lawyers.[5]
With a high profile on both sides of the Atlantic, McDermott has been involved in crossborder matters in virtually every sector of business. Matters of an international nature include cross-border mergers and acquisitions; joint ventures; financings; corporate restructuring and reorganisations; the structuring of distributorship, licensing and agency arrangements; the negotiation of commercial contracts; compliance with investment laws; privatisation; multi-national tax planning; international litigation and dispute resolution; environmental; real estate; banking; anti-competition; e-business and intellectual property.
McDermott currently has 16 offices in the United States and Europe. The number in parentheses indicates the year the office opened.
McDermott Will & Emery engages in a number of pro bono efforts and states that it is committed to its communities. Through its pro bono and community service program, the firm serves disadvantaged communities and ensures that low-income individuals and families have access to justice. In 2008, the firm devoted more than 94,900 hours to pro bono matters and community service, and more than 70 percent of its lawyers provided pro bono legal services to the poor, to organizations that serve the indigent and to certain not-for-profit organizations and small businesses focused on serving low-income communities.[14]