Profile Facts: Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer profile,

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP

Headquarters	London, United Kingdom
No. of offices	27
No. of attorneys	2,700
No. of employees	5,500
Major practice areas	General practice
Revenue	▲ ₤1.14 billion
Date founded	2000 (merger); (1743 London, 1840 Hamburg)
Company Type	Limited liability partnership
Website	Freshfields.com

TheFreshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP (often simply referred to as Freshfields) is one of the largest law firms in the world and a component of the UK's Magic Circle of elite law firms. It is providing business law advice throughout Europe (including the United Kingdom), the Middle East, Asia, and the United States. The firm's London office is in Fleet Street. Average earnings per partner in 2009-10 topped £1.41 million.

The firm has more than 2,700 lawyers in 27 key business centres around the world, and advises national and multinational corporations, financial institutions, and governments. On 1 May 2008, Freshfields converted to a limited liability partnership (LLP).

Freshfields is widely considered to be one of the world's leading law firms. Recent awards include: "M&A team of the year" (IFLR European Awards 2010); "M&A team of the year" (British Legal Awards 2009 and 2008); "Germany law firm of the year" and "UK law firm of the year" (Chambers Europe Awards for Excellence 2009); "Most innovative law firm" (Financial Times Innovative Lawyers Awards 2009); "Global law firm of the year" (Who's Who Legal Awards 2009); "Law firm of the year" (The Lawyer Awards 2008); "International law firm of the year" (PLC Which Lawyer? Awards 2008).

In February 2009, it was announced that Freshfields had been chosen as the official legal services provider to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

History

The firm as it exists today was created on 1 August 2000 when Freshfields merged with Deringer Tessin Herrmann & Sedemund and with Bruckhaus Westrick Heller Löber to form Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer.

Freshfields traces its origins back to at least 1743 in London, when Samuel Dodd, one of its partners, was appointed solicitor to the Bank of England. The law firm changed its name with different partners until James William Freshfield became a partner and he, his sons and grandsons continued in the service until the last Freshfield retired in 1918.Bruckhaus' history began in 1840 in Hamburg, while Deringer Tessin Herrmann & Sedemund was founded in 1962 by Arved Deringer and Claus Tessin and had been based in Cologne since 1970. The three-way merger in 2000 represented the ambition of all three firms of becoming an international law firm, and was described by the UK's Financial Times as "probably the most significant pan-European merger to date in the restructuring of Europe’s legal services."

In 2007, the firm went through a restructuring of its business, which involved slimming down the size of its equity partnership. The changes were made with the aim of increasing the firm's competitiveness and profitability, and were similar to moves made previously by other competitor firms.Separately, the firm also reformed the partners' pension scheme with the aim of making the scheme fairer for all partners. The changes resulted in a number of departures and three claims, two of which were dropped, while the third was dismissed by the Central London Employment Tribunal.

Main practice areas

Antitrust, competition and trade

Corporate

Dispute resolution

Employment, pensions and benefits

Finance

IP/IT

Real estate

Tax

Main industry areas

Automotive

Chemicals