What 'enchanting' term informally describes the five leading UK-headquartered law firms?
"does not match the other Magic Circle firms, and Slaughter & May operates a different (UK-focused) model and its revenue is less than half of the other Magic Circle firms. When ""The Lawyer"" magazine coined the term, it included Slaughter and May as part of the Magic Circle. ""The Lawyer"" magazine, however, no longer considers it to form part of the Magic Circle due to its lower revenues and UK domestic focus. In 2017, ""The Lawyer"" magazine stated that ""Slaughters fits the silver circle bill in every respect. London-centric, sky-high PEP, top-tier work, an aura of prestige: Slaughter and May"
"100 largest law firms operating in the UK; have high average profits per partner; provide services relating to corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, and financial services; and whose clients include large corporates and financial institutions. City law firms are frequently sub-divided into four broad categories: ""Magic Circle"" firms; ""Silver Circle"" firms; ""mid-tier"" firms; and American law firms with offices in London. Magic Circle firms are generally regarded as the UK law firms with the best overall reputation, being Allen & Overy, Clifford Chance, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Linklaters and Slaughter and May. These are consistently the most profitable UK-based law firms,"
"innovation hub in Singapore to serve the Asia-Pacific Region. Clifford Chance's main practice areas are: Clifford Chance Clifford Chance LLP is a multinational law firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom, and a member of the ""Magic Circle"" of leading British law firms. It is one of the ten largest law firms in the world measured both by number of lawyers and revenue. In 2016/17, Clifford Chance had total revenues of £1.54 billion, the highest of any firm in the Magic Circle, and record profits per equity partner of £1.375 million. According to SWFI, Clifford Chance tied for 1st place for"
"British firm Clifford Chance, which had revenue of over US$2 billion. This can be compared with $404 billion for the world's largest firm by turnover Exxon Mobil and $28 billion for the largest professional services firm Deloitte. The largest law firms in the world are headquartered primarily in the United Kingdom and the United States. However, large firms of more than 1,000 lawyers are also found in Australia (Minter Ellison (1,500 attorneys), China (Dacheng 2,100 attorneys) and Spain (Garrigues, 2,100 attorneys). The American system of licensing attorneys on a state-by-state basis, the tradition of having a headquarters in a single"
"Clifford Chance Clifford Chance LLP is a multinational law firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom, and a member of the ""Magic Circle"" of leading British law firms. It is one of the ten largest law firms in the world measured both by number of lawyers and revenue. In 2016/17, Clifford Chance had total revenues of £1.54 billion, the highest of any firm in the Magic Circle, and record profits per equity partner of £1.375 million. According to SWFI, Clifford Chance tied for 1st place for calendar year 2015 regarding legal advising for public institutional investor deals. Clifford Chance was formed"
"was outside England and Wales. Five of the world's ten largest law firms by revenues are headquartered in the UK, and three of the largest five Global 100 law firms, based on headcount in 2013 have their main base of operations in the UK. As of 2013 the legal services market in the United Kingdom is experiencing rapid change as a result of forces including market consolidation, globalisation, regulatory change leading to greater corporatisation and the use of new legal structures, and an increasing role of technology. In 2013, gross fees generated by law firms in the UK increased by"
"as Resolution Law. DWF's recent history has been dominated by a process of internationalisation. Over the past decade it has developed a presence in key major cities around the world. The firm is headquartered in the Spinningfields district of Manchester and has 30 offices in 15 jurisdictions across Asia, Europe, the Middle East and North America. United Kingdom International DWF LLP DWF LLP is a multinational law firm headquartered in Manchester with 27 offices across the world. The 2017 Financial Times Most Innovative Lawyers Report ranked DWF as the 10th overall most innovative legal business in Europe. DWF scored highest"
"number of the world's largest law firms are headquartered in the City, including four of the ""Magic Circle"" law firms (Allen & Overy, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Linklaters and Slaughter & May), as well as other firms such as DLA Piper, Eversheds Sutherland, Herbert Smith Freehills and Hogan Lovells. Whilst the financial sector, and related businesses and institutions, continue to dominate, the economy is not limited to that sector. The legal profession has a strong presence, especially in the west and north (i.e., towards the Inns of Court). Retail businesses were once important, but have gradually moved to the West End"
"in London. As of 2017, the firm has 30 offices across 20 countries throughout Asia, the Middle East, North America, South America and Europe. Linklaters Linklaters LLP is a multinational law firm headquartered in London. Founded in 1838, it is a member of the ""Magic Circle"" of elite British law firms. It currently employs over 2,000 lawyers across 29 offices in 20 countries. In 2016, Linklaters achieved revenues of £1.31 billion ($1.97 billion) and profits per equity partner of £1.45 million ($2.2 million). In the UK, the firm has top-tier rankings across many practice areas, including corporate/M&A, capital markets, litigation,"
"been named the most impressive law school building in the world. The findings were published in 2014 by ""Best Choice Schools"" who selected the 50 most impressive law schools in the world. In 2015, the Chambers Student triennial survey of which universities law firm trainees had attended ranked Durham third behind Oxford and Cambridge, supplying 7.6 per cent of law trainees in the UK (up from 4th in 2012). The survey also placed Durham second (behind Manchester) in supplying national firms (up from 11th in 2012) and third in supplying US firms in London (up from 5th in 2012). Durham"
"of representatives from Thomson Reuters, The Law Society, JP Morgan, HSBC, Goldman Sachs, IUA, Lloyd's, Deloitte, Association for Financial Markets in Europe, Standard Chartered, and TheCityUK itself. Meetings are attended by representatives from HM Treasury and Department of Business, Innovation and Skills. TheCityUK TheCityUK is a private-sector membership body and industry advocacy group promoting the financial and related professional services industry of the United Kingdom (UK). TheCityUK is often referred to as the industry's ""most powerful"" or ""most prominent"" lobbyists with close links to the UK Government and to policymakers in Brussels and Washington. Although 'The City' in the UK"
"London-based solicitors with the aim of raising the reputation of the profession by setting standards and ensuring good practice. 'London' was dropped from the title in 1825 to reflect the fact that the Law Institution had national aspirations. The first female solicitor was admitted to the British legal profession in 1922. The merger of City law firms Clifford Turner and Coward Chance in 1987 to form Clifford Chance was the world's largest law firm merger in history at the time it took place, and sparked a wave of consolidation and internationalisation in the European legal services market. Significant mergers between"
"Ashurst LLP Ashurst LLP is a multinational law firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom. Ashurst is the UK's 11th largest law firm by revenue, according to the latest Legal 100 table by Legal Business. It has 25 offices in 15 countries across Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East and North America and employs around 1,600 legal advisers. Its principal business focus is mergers and acquisitions, corporate and structured finance. The firm also has practices in other areas including investment funds, antitrust, energy, transport and infrastructure, intellectual property, IT, dispute resolution, financial services, tax, real estate, regulatory, telecommunication and employment. The"
"DWF LLP DWF LLP is a multinational law firm headquartered in Manchester with 27 offices across the world. The 2017 Financial Times Most Innovative Lawyers Report ranked DWF as the 10th overall most innovative legal business in Europe. DWF scored highest of all firms in Europe for innovation in the business of law. In a 2018 report by Experian DWF ranked 7th among the most active legal and financial advisers in the UK and 15th in Europe by deal volume and value. The firm started life as a four office practice in the North West of England and has grown"
"Linklaters Linklaters LLP is a multinational law firm headquartered in London. Founded in 1838, it is a member of the ""Magic Circle"" of elite British law firms. It currently employs over 2,000 lawyers across 29 offices in 20 countries. In 2016, Linklaters achieved revenues of £1.31 billion ($1.97 billion) and profits per equity partner of £1.45 million ($2.2 million). 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. In 2017, Linklaters was ranked third, tied with Eversheds Sutherland, for FTSE 100 clients. For"
"the world. London was the first city to host the modern Olympics three times. British media is broadcast internationally, notably the ""BBC World Service"", ""BBC World News"" and ""The Economist"" magazine. British film and literature have international appeal, and British theatre helps make London one of the most visited cities in the world. Schools and universities in Britain are popular destinations for students of other nations. Alongside the English language, English contract law is the most important and most used contract law in international business. London is the headquarters for four of the world's six largest law firms. The UK"
"multinational corporations, financial institutions and governments. Freshfields recent mandates include: advising the Bank of England, Northern Rock and German Government throughout the 2008 financial crisis; and advising the UK Government on the privatisations of Royal Mail, Northern Rock, Lloyds Bank, Royal Bank of Scotland and Eurostar. Clients of the firm have included: William Gladstone, Sir Robert Peel and Nathan Meyer Rothschild. As of 2017, Freshfields is the top ranked law firm for European, UK and Asia-Pacific M&A. As of 2015, it is the only magic-circle firm to feature in the top five law firms in the world by deal value."
"firms with offices in London and other cities in the UK. Around half of these are US firms, with the remainder mainly from Europe, Australia and Canada. The UK legal market has a strong global position due to the popularity of English law. Some 27% of the world's 320 legal jurisdictions use English Common law. London is a major international legal centre and more international and commercial arbitrations take place there than in any other city in the world, with 1,198 claims being issued in the Commercial Court in 2013, of which 80% involved at least one party whose address"
"Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP (informally Freshfields, or FBD), considered to have been founded in 1743, is a multinational law firm headquartered in London and a member of the Magic Circle of elite British law firms. Freshfields is the oldest firm within the Magic Circle and is reported to be the oldest international law firm in the world. Its origins can be traced back to the early 18th century, when it was appointed solicitor to the Bank of England, which it continues to advise today. Freshfields traces its British origins to 1743, when partner Samuel Dodd was appointed"
"and the first four of these are each among the world's 10 largest law firms measured by 2012 revenues, with Slaughter and May among the top 50. The members of the Silver Circle are firms perceived to be just below the Magic Circle in terms of their overall reputations, with average profits per equity partner and average revenue per lawyer far above the average for UK law firms, although generally lower than the members of the Magic Circle. There is less consensus regarding the membership of this group but firms commonly described as members include: Ashurst, Berwin Leighton Paisner, Herbert"
"Human Resources, Marketing and Business Development - showing the different career paths available. Recent accolades include: Shepherd and Wedderburn Shepherd and Wedderburn LLP is a commercial law firm, headquartered in Edinburgh, with offices in Glasgow, Aberdeen and London. The firm delivers multi-jurisdictional legal advice across every business sector, as well as private client and wealth management services. In 2014, Shepherd and Wedderburn was listed in ""The Lawyer UK 200"" as the fifty-ninth largest firm in the UK. Shepherd and Wedderburn’s history can be traced back to 1768, when David Stewart of Stewarthall was admitted as a Writer to the Signet."
"is alluded to (usually in an unflattering manner) in a number of Oscar Wilde's plays, most notably in ""The Importance of Being Earnest"", when Lady Bracknell says that her solicitors are Markby, Markby and Markby. Markby, who was president of the Law Society of England and Wales in 1887, had fallen out with Wilde, a former friend, for reasons unknown. The partnership incorporated as a limited liability partnership in 2005. In January 2006, CMS Cameron McKenna expanded its European presence through the acquisition of the Romanian law firm Hayhurst Robinson. In December 2013 it was announced that CMS Cameron McKenna"
"of the top spots on the chart."" According to Bloomberg (FY 2015), the top 10 legal advisors by M&A transactions with any Canadian involvement were Simpson Thacher (NY), Sullivan & Cromwell (NY), Osler (TO), Skadden (NY), Torys (TO), Bennett Jones (TO), Shearman (NY), Davis Polk (NY), McCarthy (TO), and Morrison & Foerster (SF), signalling the integration of Canada into the larger North American market. The 'club of nine' was a similar term used in the UK until it was replaced by the Magic Circle. In alphabetical order the Seven Sisters included: Blakes, Davies, Goodmans, McCarthy, Osler, Stikeman, and Torys. The"
"in Canada, 44 in Great Britain, 14 in France, and 9 in Germany. There is an increasing tendency towards globalisation of law firms. Due to their size, the U.S.- and U.K.-based law firms are the most prestigious and powerful in the world, and they tend to dominate the international market for legal services. A 2007 research paper noted that firms from other countries merely pick up their leftovers: ""[M]uch of the competition is relatively orderly whereby predominantly Australian, New Zealand, and Canadian firms compete for business not required by English or American law firms."" As a result of the U.S."
"in professional services firms. Osborne Clarke Osborne Clarke is an international legal practice headquartered in London, England with offices in the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Spain, Sweden, France, the Netherlands, China, Hong Kong, India, Singapore and the United States. The firm has over 250 partners and 1,600 employees and is the 21st largest law firm in the UK and the 41st largest law firms in Germany by revenues. The firm played a significant role in the development of the railways in Southern England through its historic relationship with Isambard Kingdom Brunel and the Great Western Railway. Today, the firm's"
"to pass the examinations. The Council of Legal Education, established by the Inns of Court in 1852, had the same problem. This in turn led to the rise of specialist tutorial firms which legal historian Patricia Leighton has termed ""the first professional law teachers."" The firms were largely established and run by practicing attorneys in London. The tension arising in the profession between the systems followed by the university law schools and those of the tutorial firms had sometimes led them to be dismissed as ""crammers"". It was a tension reflected in Gibson and Weldon's own 1905 advertisement stating that"
"British law firms over the next 15 years included the merger of: Lovell, White & King and Durrant Piesse in 1987; Pinsent & Co and Simpson Curtis in 1995; Nabarro Nathanson and Turner Kenneth Brown in 1995; Dibb Lupton Broomhead and Alsop Wilkinson in 1996; Addleshaw Sons & Latham and Booth & Co. in 1996; McKenna & Co and Cameron Markby Hewitt in 1997; Hammond Suddards and Edge Ellison in 2000; and Pinsent Curtis and Biddle in 2001. In October 2005 the government announced proposals for a major reform of the legal services sector in England and Wales, including the"
"offshore law firms, including almost all the significant Channel Islands firms. The major offshore firms do not use the 'magic circle' terminology. Edward Fennell, a legal columnist for ""The Times"", has expressed dim views of law firms designating themselves as part of an offshore magic circle. However, the concept of an offshore magic circle is actively promoted by legal recruitment consultants who hope to persuade London lawyers to spend a few years working in an offshore jurisdiction. The ""Chambers"" legal directory in its 2008 edition, recognised the move towards multi-jurisdictional specialist offshore firms, and included a new ranking for global"
"with the Birmingham-headquartered law firm Wragge & Co. The merger was planned to be completed in May 2014, with the combined firm to be called Wragge Lawrence Graham & Co. Lawrence Graham Lawrence Graham LLP (informally LG) was a multinational law firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom. The firm had over 180 lawyers, and as well as London it had offices in Dubai, Moscow, Singapore and Monaco. Lawrence Graham merged with the Birmingham-headquartered law firm Wragge & Co in May 2014, forming Wragge Lawrence Graham & Co. LG's history dated back almost 300 years. In 1730 the first law firms"
"to 2009, and ranked 18th in 2010. It was taken over by Slater & Gordon in 2014. Pannone solicitors Pannone LLP was a law firm based in the UK, with offices in Manchester and London and satellite offices in Cheshire. The firm advises clients throughout the UK and internationally. Emma Holt is the firm’s managing partner and Steven Grant the senior partner. With roots that date back to 1852, it was one of the largest in the Manchester area with over 100 partners, 300 lawyers and a total staff of over 600 people. Pannone placed in the top six in"
"Smith Freehills, Hogan Lovells, Macfarlanes, Norton Rose Fulbright, Simmons and Simmons and Travers Smith. There are a large number of US-based law firms with offices in London; there are 29 American law firms which have a London office which had 2012 revenues of over US$40 million, and 14 with revenues of over US$100 million (Baker & McKenzie, White & Case, Latham & Watkins, Reed Smith, Skadden, Squire Patton Boggs, Morgan Lewis and Bockius, Mayer Brown, Kirkland & Ellis, Dechert, Shearman & Sterling, Weil Gotshal, Cleary Gottlieb, Jones Day and Sullivan & Cromwell). ""National"" law firms are firms with a number"
"the United Kingdom. Intelligent UK Holdings Limited Intelligent (UK Holdings) Limited is a Holding Company and Parent company headquartered in Gloucestershire, United Kingdom and was incorporated on 21st May, 2008. Intelligent (UK Holdings) Limited provides a group management structure for four companies and was born out of the operations of International Intelligence Limited, a company specialising in Intelligence, Counter Espionage and TSCM sweeping. Across the Intelligent (UK Holdings) Limited group of companies, activities are mainly within the global security and defence industry, with operations in a number of countries and clients including the United Nations and Royal families. Alexander J."
"law firms. Today the OCC represents over 150 leading law firms, including 60 of the top 100 UK firms, 8 of the top 10 US firms and the leading firms in both Hong Kong and Sweden. By collaborating with other firms, OCC members benefit from the expertise of the group, the assurance of accuracy and tremendous cost savings. The current list of OCC law firms includes: Allen & Overy, Bevan Brittan, Blake Morgan, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, CMS Cameron McKenna, Debevoise and Plimpton, DLA Piper, DWF, Herbert Smith Freehills, Hogan Lovells, Holman Fenwick & Willan, Macfarlanes, Mills & Reeve,"