Jenner & Block LLP

01 October 2006

Jenner & Block LLP in Who's Who Legal: Illinois

Rapid international expansion may tempt some, but Jenner & Block has shown no urgency. Following on from the establishment of branches in Dallas and Washington, DC, the addition of a New York office in 2005 was part of a measured growth strategy to build “a platform for future growth in key practices”.

The practices in question – commercial litigation and corporate transactions – have been integral to the firm since its inception. In one of the most watched trials of 2005, Jenner won a jury verdict for an unprecedented US$1.6 billion on behalf of Coleman Parent Holdings in a suit brought against Morgan Stanley. In the same year, the corporate practice oversaw several significant transactions, including the US$2.2 billion acquisition of Anteon by General Dynamics. In the two years preceding publication, Jenner & Block has concentrated on these core resources, making over 150 lateral hires firm-wide. During that period the Chicago office was the main beneficiary, with over three-quarters of all lateral hires heading for the firm’s traditional heartland.

Managing partner Greg Gallopoulos is confident that strategic acquisitions of individuals and groups of individuals and internal accession will bring continuing prosperity. “Our paramount concern is providing the highest quality client service. It’s impossible to exert quality control in geographically dispersed business models.” Having built several strong relationships with European firms, Jenner & Block believes it has all the necessary resources to counsel international clients in US-oriented deals.

In terms of the firm’s culture, Gallopoulos stresses the importance of “written values – based on respect and courtesy at all levels, from the clerk in the mail room right up to the board room, and between vendors and clients.” Diversity and staff training also feature strongly in the firm’s internal code: “We don’t try to homogenise … we value respect, not uniformity.
The firm supports local communities and diversity initiatives through its “unparalleled commitment to pro bono and public service”. In 2005, Jenner & Block won several victories on behalf of pro bono clients, including a number of successful asylum appeals; it continues to provide counsel to several charities and non-profit organisations on a pro bono basis.

Jenner & Block attorneys attracted a high level of support across a number of practice areas during our research. The firm shows great strength in environment and commercial litigation, with four attorneys nominated in each chapter; three experts appear in our business crime section; in arbitration, tax and insurance and reinsurance, the firm demonstrates its quality with two representatives apiece; additionally, individual experts are recognised in four other areas. The firm is therefore listed in 10 of our 22 practice areas.

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