Linklaters
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Headquarters | London, EC2 United Kingdom |
---|---|
No. of offices | 31 in 21 countries; 45 in 28 countries when including offices of allied/associated firms[1] |
No. of lawyers | 2,815 (including 515 Partners)[1] |
No. of employees | 5,191[1] |
Key people | |
Revenue | £1.67 billion[4] |
Profit per equity partner | £1.77 million[4] |
Date founded | 1838 |
Company type | Limited liability partnership |
Website | linklaters |
Linklaters LLP is a multinational law firm headquartered in London. Founded in 1838, it is a member of the "Magic Circle" of elite London-headquartered law firms. It currently employs over 2,800 lawyers across 31 offices in 21 countries.[1]
In financial year 2020-21, Linklaters achieved revenues of £1.67 billion and profits per equity partner of £1.77 million.[4] In the UK, the firm has top-tier rankings across many practice areas, including corporate/M&A, capital markets, litigation, banking and finance, restructuring and insolvency, antitrust and tax.[5][6] In 2019, Linklaters was ranked third for the number of FTSE 100 clients.[7] For direct deals by institutional investors in the first half of 2016, Linklaters tied for first place.[8] In the 2021 Global Law Firm Brand Index, Linklaters was named as having the world's fourth strongest brand.[9]
History[]
Linklaters was founded in London in 1838 when John Linklater entered into a partnership with Julius Dods.[10] The firm, initially known as Dods & Linklater, developed a practice in corporate law, including advising on the creation of the Metropolitan Water Board.[11]
On 4 May 1920, the firm, then known as Linklater & Co, merged with another renowned London firm, Paines Plythe & Huxtable,[12] which had been founded by a descendant of Thomas Paine.
For most of the twentieth century, Linklaters & Paines was predominately a domestic corporate law firm, with only a small number of overseas offices. However, in 1998, Linklaters & Alliance was created in partnership with many of Europe's leading law firms, including De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek in Amsterdam, De Bandt van Hecke Lagae in Brussels, Loesch & Wolter in Luxembourg, Lagerlöf & Leman in Stockholm and Oppenhoff & Rädler in Germany.[13][14] Over the next five years, Linklaters & Paines merged with the last four of these Alliance firms, as well as several other European firms, in Belgium, Luxembourg, Sweden, Germany, Czech Republic and Poland. The firm opened new offices in Amsterdam, Bangkok, Beijing, Budapest, Bucharest, Bratislava, Lisbon, Madrid, Milan, Rome, São Paulo, and Shanghai. In 1999, amid this global expansion, the firm shortened its name to Linklaters.[15]
On 1 April 2005, after Japan enacted laws to allow certain international law firms to open offices in the country, Linklaters created Japan’s first fully merged law firm practising Japanese, English and US law.
Linklaters spun off its offices in Bratislava, Bucharest, Budapest and Prague into a separate firm, Kinstellar (an anagram of Linklaters) in 2007. In the aftermath of the credit crunch in 2008, Linklaters cut 270 jobs in London, consisting of around 120 lawyers and 150 other staff.[16] This was reported to be part of managing partner Simon Davies' plan to become a smaller, more profitable organisation.[17] By 2008, Linklaters had the highest gross revenue of any firm in the world, $2.4 billion, buoyed by work including the firm's role as advisor to Lehman Brothers and its world number one ranking for deals by total value.[18]
On 1 May 2012, Linklaters entered into an integrated alliance with top-tier Australian law firm Allens.[19] Allens and Linklaters operate two joint ventures in Asia: one focused on energy, resources and infrastructure services, and another on Indonesia in collaboration with domestic firm Widyawan & Partners.[20] On 1 February 2013, the firm entered into an alliance with leading South African law firm Webber Wentzel.[21]
Linklaters also has a best-friend arrangement with Talwar Thakore & Associates, a leading Indian law firm.[22] Furthermore, since 2017 the firm has operated in Saudi Arabia in agreement with Zamakhchary & Co. In 2018, the firm partnered with newly established Zhao Sheng Law Firm in order to practise mainland Chinese law. The joint operation currently has offices in the Shanghai Free-Trade Zone and in Beijing.[23]
In 2021, Linkalters opened an office in Dublin, structured as a separate partnership called "Linklaters & Co", which provides advice on EU law but not Irish domestic law.[24][25][26][27][28]
Offices[]
Linklaters was founded and remains headquartered in London. As of 2021, the firm has 31 offices across 21 countries throughout Asia, the Middle East, North America, South America, and Europe.[29]
Notable former partners and lawyers[]
- Christopher Bellamy, a former judge of the Court of First Instance of the European Communities and UK Competition Tribunal worked at Linklaters from 2007 to 2020
- G. Godfrey Phillips, former Commissioner General of the Shanghai Municipal Council was a partner in the 1940s and 1950s.
- Dominic Raab, British Deputy Prime Minister trained as a Solicitor at Linklaters
- Robert Finch (Lord Mayor), Lord Mayor of the City of London was a partner at Linklaters
- Pedro Siza Vieira, Portuguese Minister of Economy was a partner at Linklaters
See also[]
References[]
- ^ a b c d "Linklaters - About our business". Linklaters LLP. Archived from the original on 20 October 2014. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
- ^ "Two top Hong Kong partners join new firms and make tracks for London". www.globallegalpost.com. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
- ^ "Linklaters' top brass see earnings jump by 17% as profit pot hits £25 million". Legal Cheek. 6 November 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
- ^ a b c "Linklaters PEP, Profits Jump While Revenue Growth Slows Compared to Rivals". Law.com International.
- ^ "Linklaters, UK | Chambers Rankings". chambers.com. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
- ^ "The Legal 500 > Linklaters LLP". Archived from the original on 29 August 2014. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
- ^ Slingo2019-09-02T08:39:00+01:00, Jemma. "Slaughter and May tops listed clients table". Law Gazette. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
- ^ "COMEBACK: Goldman Sachs Tops SWFI Financial Advisory League Table for H1 2016". Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute. 6 July 2016. Archived from the original on 23 October 2016. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
- ^ "Baker McKenzie, DLA Piper, and Dentons top the 2021 Acritas Global Elite Law Firm Brand Index". www.thomsonreuters.com. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
- ^ "Passing the Flame". Linklaters and GM Toucari. 2013. p. 2. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
- ^ "Passing the Flame". Linklaters and GM Toucari. 2013. p. 6. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
- ^ "Passing the Flame". Linklaters and GM Toucari. 2013. p. 7. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
- ^ "Passing the Flame". Linklaters and GM Toucari. 2013. p. 93. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
- ^ "Law: The firm that wants to conquer the world". The Independent. 21 August 1998. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
- ^ "Passing the Flame". Linklaters and GM Toucari. 2013. p. 134. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
- ^ "Linklaters: 270 London jobs to go". The Lawyer. 29 January 2009. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
- ^ "Linklaters to axe up to 70 partners in massive shake-up". The Lawyer. 23 January 2009. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
- ^ "Linklaters LLP". www.top-law-schools.com. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
- ^ "AAR, Linklaters Agree on Alliance to Compete Internationally". Bloomberg. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
- ^ "Allens and Linklaters form integrated alliance". Allens. Archived from the original on 20 May 2013. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
- ^ "Webber Wentzel to form alliance with leading global firm". Webber Wentzel. Archived from the original on 18 May 2013. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 27 June 2018. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Linking Up: Linklaters' joint operations partner Zhao Sheng opens Bejing branch". 26 June 2019.
- ^ Linklaters & Co - Ireland
- ^ Pollock, Sean (14 March 2021). "'Magic Circle' firm Linklaters in new Dublin office talks". Irish Independent.
- ^ Daly, Linda (14 March 2021). "Magic circle law firm Linklaters conjures up first Irish office". The Times.
- ^ "Linklaters sets sights on becoming first magic circle law firm in Dublin". 10 March 2021.
- ^ "Linklaters Latest Law Firm Set For Dublin Office Launch". Law.com International.
- ^ "Linklaters - Contact us". Linklaters LLP. Archived from the original on 8 July 2013. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
External links[]
Media related to Linklaters at Wikimedia Commons
- Official website
- Law firms based in London
- 1838 establishments in England
- Law firms established in 1838
- Foreign law firms with offices in the United States
- Foreign law firms with offices in Hong Kong
- Foreign law firms with offices in Japan
- Foreign law firms with offices in the Netherlands
- Law firms of Singapore
- Intellectual property law firms
- Biopharmaceutical law firms