Profile: Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP - Who's Who Legal '30'

What is the Who's Who Legal '30'?

Who's Who Legal Arbitration Law Firm of the Year 2007
Who's Who Legal Corporate Tax Law Firm of the Year 2007
Who's Who Legal Competition Law Firm of the Year 2007

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer is one of the world's biggest law firms, with over 2,400 lawyers in 28 business centres around the world. It is also among the best: Freshfields has some of the legal community's most recognisable names and is represented here by 150 lawyers in 22 practice areas. The firm's global spread is noteworthy: it has lawyers listed in 11 jurisdictions - Austria, Belgium, England, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, the Netherlands, Russia, Spain and the USA.

ARBITRATION

With such breadth and depth it is unsurprising that the firm stands out in a number of the following chapters. Arbitration is a case in point: the firm wins this year's Who's Who Legal Arbitration Law Firm of the Year Award for the third consecutive time, with 10 specialists appearing in the Arbitration chapter. They are collectively rated by respondents as "indisputably the leaders". Jan Paulsson in Paris emerges as "one of the worldwide leaders in the field" - "fluent and effective under a range of rules" according to our sources. With further representation in New York, Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Vienna they offer clients a "uniformly high level of service on an international scale". The firm's dispute resolution credentials are bolstered by six representatives in the Commercial Litigation chapter.

CORPORATE CREDENTIALS

The firm's corporate practice is also noteworthy: we feature 11 experts from eight jurisdictions in the M&A chapter. (Clients in this arena include banks and financial institutions as well large corporations in the IT and telecoms, media, defence, retailing and manufacturing sectors.) In the chapter Freshfields has more nominees and a greater international spread than its nearest competitors. It emerges as one of the go-to firms for high-end M&A advice. Six of the aforementioned 11 also appear in Corporate Governance. The firm also maintains a solid presence in our Banking chapter: we list three partners in England and in Germany and were told that Freshfields offers "a high quality of work that is maintained across offices worldwide". Fifteen individuals make the grade in our Capital Markets chapter, where David Trott breaks into the practice area's list of high-flyers. The firm is one of the best represented alongside its ‘Magic Circle' counterparts - nominees hail from seven European offices. Freshfields also has a highly-rated aviation finance practice in London, which translates here into four nominees, where Andrew Littlejohn stands "right at the top", according to one source. Elsewhere Dirk Schmalenbach is considered "one of the key aviation finance lawyers" in Germany. Glenn Matheson in Paris is also said to be "top-tier". 

CORPORATE TAX

 Freshfields scoops another award in this year's publication thanks to its strong showing in the Corporate Tax chapter. Fourteen inclusions from six countries secures the Who's Who Legal Corporate Tax Law Firm of the Year Award for the third consecutive edition. It is particularly strong in Germany, where Stephan Eilers was "strongly recommended". Richard Ballard leads the London-based contingent in the nominations - they have more nominees than any other firm in the City. Three other European centres are covered in the listings, as are New York and Washington, DC. Freshfields also has an enviable reputation in the insolvency and restructuring arena where Sandy Shandro is one of the practice area's stars, as evidenced by his nomination to the chapter's shortlist of star individuals.

LEADING THE COMPETITION

Freshfields also wins the Who's Who Legal Competition Law Firm of the Year Award. With 21 nominees, it has a breadth of expertise unmatched by any other firm in this chapter. Rachel Brandenburger, John Davies and Frank Montag are three of the practice area's most highly nominated lawyers. Of Montag sources noted: "He's the number one guy, there's no one better." Davies is said to have a "profound understanding of complex issues"; while Brandenburger's "technical brilliance" was brought to our attention. The firm's strengths lie in Brussels, London, Germany and DC. In the US capital, "luminary" Terry Calvani is joined by three other high-profile practitioners. Paul Yde came in for particular praise. Our findings show that the firm is also well represented in Austria, France, Italy and the Netherlands. Brandenburger is one of only a handful of practitioners to make it into the top tier in two chapters. The second of these is Regulatory Communications where five specialists from Freshfields' European offices earn nominations.

LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

The firm also maintains an enviable presence in the Labour & Employment chapter, where Pascale Lagesse is listed among the practice area's high-flyers. Heinz Willemsen is rated by one source as "the godfather of German labour and employment law" - the presence of five more representatives highlights Freshfields' considerable labour expertise.

PROJECT FINANCE AND NATURAL RESOURCES

Project financing is another string to Freshfields' bow: five partners make the cut here. Kent Rowey gives the firm an all-important foothold in the New York market, while our research revealed great talent in England, France and the Netherlands. The firm also provides two lawyers for the Oil and Gas chapter and five first-rate nominees in Environment. Malcolm Forster was lauded as "one of the founders of UK environment law". With Paul Bowden and Daniel Lawrence joining him in the UK and two further nominees in Germany, the firm boasts one of the largest European contingents in the chapter. 

FULL SERVICE

 In the Real Estate chapter Geoff Le Pard in London is one of the leading lights, he is accompanied in the chapter by five Freshfields partners from offices in Spain, Germany, Italy and England. Peter Chrocziel appears in both the Patents and Trademarks sections and is said by sources to be "a leading Germany IP lawyer". Further inclusions in Construction, Private Funds, Product Liability and Trade & Customs underline the all-round credentials of this "international powerhouse".