 | |
| Headquarters | River Point Chicago, Illinois |
|---|---|
| No. of offices | 23 |
| No. of attorneys | 1177 |
| No. of employees | 2,300+ |
| Major practice areas | General practice |
| Revenue |  $1.82 billion USD (2022) [1] |
| Profit per equity partner | $3.32 million USD (2022) [1] |
| Date founded | February 2, 1934 |
| Founder |
|
| Company type | multiple legal entities, primarily limited liability partnerships, coordinated through service agreements[2] |
| Website | mwe |
McDermott Will & Emery is an international law firm with a diversified business practice. The firm is one of the largest-grossing law firms in the United States and globally,[3] and its lawyers represent a wide range of commercial, industrial, and financial enterprises.
History[edit]
Chicago lawyers Edward H. McDermott and William M. Emery founded the firm in 1934. They were initially focused as a tax law firm, and a corporate department was established in 1941 when Howard A. Will joined the firm. As the century progressed, the firm added capabilities across the legal spectrum, eventually opening eight more offices. By 1984, the firm had amassed 150 lawyers. Over the ensuing 20 years, the firm grew; in 2004, McDermott numbered over 1,000 lawyers.[4][non-primary source needed]
In November 2023, amid a wave of antisemitic incidents at elite U.S. law schools, McDermott Will & Emery was among a group of major law firms who sent a letter to top law school deans warning them that an escalation in incidents targeting Jewish students would have corporate hiring consequences. The letter said "We look to you to ensure your students who hope to join our firms after graduation are prepared to be an active part of workplace communities that have zero tolerance policies for any form of discrimination or harassment, much less the kind that has been taking place on some law school campuses."[5]
Organization[edit]
McDermott has more than 1,177 lawyers across 23 offices in the United States, Europe, and Asia.[6] It has a strategic alliance with MWE China Law Offices in Shanghai, China.[7]
The firm consists of multiple legal entities that are coordinated through service agreements:[2]
- McDermott Will & Emery LLP – based in Illinois, U.S., with other offices throughout the country and a foreign office in South Korea
- McDermott Will & Emery AARPI[a] – France
- McDermott Will & Emery Belgium LLP – based in Delaware, U.S., with offices in Belgium
- McDermott Will & Emery Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater LLP – based in Delaware, U.S., with offices in Germany
- McDermott Will & Emery Studio Legale Associato[b] – Italy
- McDermott Will & Emery UK LLP – United Kingdom
Recognition and rankings[edit]
- In 2010, recognized by The Chambers Global Guide for excellence in numerous practice areas; several McDermott lawyers were ranked as leaders in their field.[10]
- In 2009, the Human Rights Campaign named McDermott Will & Emery as one of the record numbers of US companies earning the top rating of 100 percent in its annual Corporate Equality Index.[11]
- For the third quarter of 2008, McDermott's Mergermarket rankings included the top 20 for the number of US buyouts, the top 10 for the number of US-Midwest region deals, and the top 10 by the value of deals in Swedish M&A. According to Mergerstat, McDermott ranked in the top 20 for US-announced deals and among the top for US middle market advisors and US private equity advisors based on both value and number of deals.[12][13]
- In 2006, The National Law Journal named McDermott one of the top 15 defense litigation law firms in the United States on its annual Defense Hot List.[14] Also in 2006, the firm was named one of the top 10 law firms on BTI Consulting Group's Market Movers list.[15]
- In 2005, the firm was named one of the top 10 law firms representing the growing healthcare industry in the United States.[16]
Notable alumni[edit]
- Fernando L. Aenlle-Rocha, California state court judge
- Neil Auerbach, co-founder of Hudson Clean Energy Partners
- Steven Baddour, member of the Democratic Party and a former member of the Massachusetts Senate representing the 1st Essex District
- M. Miller Baker, judge of the United States Court of International Trade
- Andrew Batavia, disability rights activist, health policy researcher, author, and associate professor at Florida International University
- Robert J. Cordy, former associate justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
- Lanny Davis, political operative, lawyer, consultant, lobbyist, author, and television commentator
- Eric Hargan, former United States Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services
- Jerrold Hercenberg, subject-matter expert for the healthcare and health insurance industries
- Lucy Koh, United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California
- E. Grey Lewis, former general counsel of the Navy
- Jim Moran, former U.S. representative for Virginia's 8th congressional district in Northern Virginia
- Anne Pramaggiore, former senior executive vice president and CEO of Exelon Utilities
- Atif Qarni, Democratic politician and Virginia Secretary of Education
- Neil F. Quinter, former member of the Maryland House of Delegates
- Larry Ribstein, law professor and author
- Andrew Sherman, corporate and transactional lawyer and author and senior partner at Seyfarth Shaw
- Bryan Steil, member of the Republican party who serves as the U.S. representative for Wisconsin's 1st congressional district
- Bill Weld, former governor of Massachusetts
- Michael Wilder, American chess grandmaster
Notes[edit]
- ^ In France, an AARPI or Association d'Avocats à Responsabilité Professionnelle Individuelle (Association of Lawyers with Individual Professional Responsibility) is a form of limited liability partnership established by a 1954 government decree rescinding the prohibition on joint exercise structures in the legal profession.[8]
- ^ In Italy, a Studio Legale Associato (Associated Legal Practice) is similar in structure to a limited liability partnership. They were first established in 1997 when a law was passed rescinding a previous prohibition on libero professionisti (lawyers, accountants, doctors, chartered surveyors, etc.) forming such partnerships.[9]
References[edit]
- ^ a b Smith, Patrick (2023-02-27). "McDermott Sees 9% Revenue, PEP Growth, With 'Recession-Resistant' Practices". Retrieved 2023-02-27.
- ^ a b "McDermott Will & Emery - Disclaimer". Archived from the original on 2015-06-07.
- ^ AmLaw 100, The American Lawyer, 2020
- ^ "McDermott Will & Emery - Firm History". Archived from the original on 2015-02-23.
- ^ Sorkin, Andrew Ross; Mattu, Ravi; Warner, Bernhard; Kessler, Sarah; Merced, Michael J. de la; Hirsch, Lauren; Livni, Ephrat (2 November 2023). "Law Firms Warn Universities About Antisemitism on Campus". The New York Times. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
- ^ "McDermott Sees 9% Revenue, PEP Growth, With 'Recession-Resistant' Practices". Law.com International. Retrieved 2023-02-27.
- ^ "MWE China Law Offices Opens in Shanghai". mwechinalaw.com. Archived from the original on 2007-06-23.
- ^ Barreau de Paris (28 March 2017). "L'Association d'Avocats à Responsabilité Professionnelle Individuelle". Avocatparis.org. Retrieved 10 January 2019 (in French).
- ^ Cassano, Giuseppe (2012). La responsabilità civile. p. 80. Giuffrè Editore. ISBN 8814164843 (in Italian)
- ^ "The Chambers Global Guide 2010".
- ^ "HRC 2009 Corporate Equality Index" (PDF). hrc.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-03-26.
- ^ "Mergermarket league tables & profiles". Mergermarket.
- ^ "FactSet Mergerstat LLC, Home Page". Archived from the original on 2007-06-30. Retrieved 2009-04-09.
- ^ Defense Hot List, The National Law Journal. 2006.
- ^ BTI Market Movers: Law Firms Shaping the Legal Market BTI Consulting Group. 2006.
- ^ Analysis of lawsuits brought by or against the 250 largest publicly traded health care companies in 2005. Health Law360.