Latham & Watkins LLP is the world’s largest law firm by revenue. Latham currently employs approximately 2,000 attorneys in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.[3] The firm was started in Los Angeles in 1934 and has extensive Californian roots, but Latham’s largest office is now in New York City. The firm claims It is the only fully integrated global law firm with no one headquarters.[4] But other firms assert a similar status. For example, rival Cleary Gottlieb is “[o]rganized and operated as a single, integrated global partnership (rather than a U.S. firm with a network of overseas offices).[5]
Latham has historically been one of the most profitable law firms. In 2007, Latham & Watkins became the first American law firm to attain more than $2 billion in yearly revenue.[6] In 2015, the firm surpassed the likes of DLA Piper, Baker & McKenzie and Skadden to become the largest law firm in the world by revenue for the first time
Recognition[edit]
The American Lawyer’s 2013 “A-List” ranked Latham & Watkins 10th in the nation out of more than 200 firms.[15] In 2013, the firm was recognized as an “A-List All-Star,” for being one of only four firms to make the A-List every year since the list’s beginning.[16] The survey takes into account factors such as revenue per lawyer, pro bono, diversity and associate satisfaction. It ranked 10th in the 2013 Vault.com Top Law Firms List, a survey that asks law firm associates to rank the perceived prestige of the major law firms.[17] In 2007, Vault.com ranked Latham as one of the “Best 20 Firms to Work For,” one of only three large firms with New York offices to make the list.[18] However, in 2009 and 2010, Latham & Watkins was not included on the list of “Best 20 Firms to Work For” while 13 large firms with New York offices made the list.[19]
The American Lawyer’s 2013 “A-List” ranked Latham & Watkins 10th in the nation out of more than 200 firms.[15] In 2013, the firm was recognized as an “A-List All-Star,” for being one of only four firms to make the A-List every year since the list’s beginning.[16] The survey takes into account factors such as revenue per lawyer, pro bono, diversity and associate satisfaction. It ranked 10th in the 2013 Vault.com Top Law Firms List, a survey that asks law firm associates to rank the perceived prestige of the major law firms.[17] In 2007, Vault.com ranked Latham as one of the “Best 20 Firms to Work For,” one of only three large firms with New York offices to make the list.[18] However, in 2009 and 2010, Latham & Watkins was not included on the list of “Best 20 Firms to Work For” while 13 large firms with New York offices made the list.[19]
Latham was ranked first by Legal500, along with two other firms in the U.S., for project finance.[citation needed] Latham was also identified in the December 2006 issue of The American Lawyer as the Am Law 200’s “most admired firm.”[citation needed] Legal Business magazine awarded Latham the coveted title “Law Firm of the Decade” for its ability to handle the immense challenges posed by the legal industry globally over the last ten years and its financial and strategic success during the period.[citation needed]
At the 2008 ALB SE Asia Law Awards,[20] Latham & Watkins was crowned:
Deal of the Year – Project Finance Deal of the Year
Deal of the Year – Equity Market Deal of the Year
At the 2008 ALB China Law Awards,[20] Latham & Watkins was crowned:
Deal of the Year – Equity Market Deal of the Year
At the 2008 ALB China Law Awards,[20] Latham & Watkins was crowned:
Deal of the Year – Project Finance Deal of the Year
Notable clients and cases[edit]
Represented LucasFilm in its sale to Disney
Represented Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. in its $4.84 billion sale to the Sony Corporation in cooperation with Providence Equity Partners, Texas Pacific Group, DLJ Merchant Banking Partners and Comcast Corporation (September 2004).[21]
Advised Bayer AG in its successful 2006 €16.4 billion white knight takeover offer for Schering AG pharmaceuticals.[22]
Legal counsel to bookrunners and arrangers Deutsche Bank Securities Inc, Goldman Sachs International and Merrill Lynch International in $2 billion Rule 144A/Regulation S notes offer for ICICI Bank Ltd, through its Bahrain branch (October 2007). This transaction was shortlisted for the Asia Law India award in the category capital markets.[23]
Represented the Church of Scientology in the Reed Slatkin Ponzi scheme,[24] and in 2008 letters signed by David J. Schindler on Latham & Watkins stationery were hand-delivered to Anonymous protesters identified by Scientology, demanding cessation of unspecified “illegal activities against the church”.[25][26]
Represented Eli Lilly & Co. in its $6.5 billion acquisition of ImClone in October 2008, in which Eli Lilly prevailed in an abortive price war with Bristol-Myers Squibb, a rival pharmaceutical company that had been seeking control of ImClone, a leader in the field of oncology medicine.[27]
Advised Yahoo! Inc. in the definitive agreement to acquire Arabic language online portal Maktoob in August 2009. Financial terms were not disclosed.[28]
Donated $3.2 million in legal services to Jay Bybee, a judge on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, during an investigation into allegations of professional misconduct resulting from Bybee’s work for the U.S. Justice Department under President George W. Bush.[29]
Notable attorneys[edit]
Sean Berkowitz – Federal prosecutor in the trials of Enron executives Ken Lay and Jeffrey Skilling.
John Kirby – Intellectual property attorney, after whom Nintendo may have named its “Kirby” character after a series of high-profile cases.
Gregory G. Garre – Former Solicitor General of the United States.
Maureen Mahoney – Former Deputy Solicitor General in 1991, represented the University of Michigan before the U.S. Supreme Court in Grutter v. Bollinger.
Philip Perry, was Dept. of Homeland Security[30] General Counsel, now a partner in the litigation department and chair of the Public Policy practice group. He is married to Elizabeth Cheney, attorney, diplomat and daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney.
Bruce Babbitt – Former U.S. Secretary of the Interior under President Bill Clinton and former governor of Arizona.
Offices[edit]
Latham was originally founded in Los Angeles, though its New York office is its largest today. The executive committee members are spread around the world, with the firm’s current chairman being based in San Francisco. The incoming chair-elect is based in London. No Latham office reports or is subordinate to another as it is the only global law firm with no headquarters. Latham currently has over 2,000 attorneys throughout its offices located around the world.[31]
Notable clients and cases[edit]
Represented LucasFilm in its sale to Disney
Represented Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. in its $4.84 billion sale to the Sony Corporation in cooperation with Providence Equity Partners, Texas Pacific Group, DLJ Merchant Banking Partners and Comcast Corporation (September 2004).[21]
Advised Bayer AG in its successful 2006 €16.4 billion white knight takeover offer for Schering AG pharmaceuticals.[22]
Legal counsel to bookrunners and arrangers Deutsche Bank Securities Inc, Goldman Sachs International and Merrill Lynch International in $2 billion Rule 144A/Regulation S notes offer for ICICI Bank Ltd, through its Bahrain branch (October 2007). This transaction was shortlisted for the Asia Law India award in the category capital markets.[23]
Represented the Church of Scientology in the Reed Slatkin Ponzi scheme,[24] and in 2008 letters signed by David J. Schindler on Latham & Watkins stationery were hand-delivered to Anonymous protesters identified by Scientology, demanding cessation of unspecified “illegal activities against the church”.[25][26]
Represented Eli Lilly & Co. in its $6.5 billion acquisition of ImClone in October 2008, in which Eli Lilly prevailed in an abortive price war with Bristol-Myers Squibb, a rival pharmaceutical company that had been seeking control of ImClone, a leader in the field of oncology medicine.[27]
Advised Yahoo! Inc. in the definitive agreement to acquire Arabic language online portal Maktoob in August 2009. Financial terms were not disclosed.[28]
Donated $3.2 million in legal services to Jay Bybee, a judge on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, during an investigation into allegations of professional misconduct resulting from Bybee’s work for the U.S. Justice Department under President George W. Bush.[29]
Notable attorneys[edit]
Sean Berkowitz – Federal prosecutor in the trials of Enron executives Ken Lay and Jeffrey Skilling.
John Kirby – Intellectual property attorney, after whom Nintendo may have named its “Kirby” character after a series of high-profile cases.
Gregory G. Garre – Former Solicitor General of the United States.
Maureen Mahoney – Former Deputy Solicitor General in 1991, represented the University of Michigan before the U.S. Supreme Court in Grutter v. Bollinger.
Philip Perry, was Dept. of Homeland Security[30] General Counsel, now a partner in the litigation department and chair of the Public Policy practice group. He is married to Elizabeth Cheney, attorney, diplomat and daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney.
Bruce Babbitt – Former U.S. Secretary of the Interior under President Bill Clinton and former governor of Arizona.
Offices[edit]
Latham was originally founded in Los Angeles, though its New York office is its largest today. The executive committee members are spread around the world, with the firm’s current chairman being based in San Francisco. The incoming chair-elect is based in London. No Latham office reports or is subordinate to another as it is the only global law firm with no headquarters. Latham currently has over 2,000 attorneys throughout its offices located around the world.[31]
Post a Comment