Linklaters
London headquartered multinational law firm
title: "Linklaters" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["law-firms-based-in-london", "1838-establishments-in-england", "law-firms-established-in-1838", "foreign-law-firms-with-offices-in-the-united-states", "foreign-law-firms-with-offices-in-hong-kong", "foreign-law-firms-with-offices-in-japan", "foreign-law-firms-with-offices-in-the-netherlands", "law-firms-of-singapore", "intellectual-property-law-firms", "biopharmaceutical-law-firms", "multinational-law-firms"] description: "London headquartered multinational law firm" topic_path: "law" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linklaters" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary London headquartered multinational law firm ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox Law Firm"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Linklaters LLP |
| logo | [[File:Linklaters.svg |
| headquarters | London, United Kingdom |
| num_offices | 30 in 20 countries; 44 in 27 countries when including offices of allied/associated firms |
| num_lawyers | approx. 3,100 (including 560 Partners) (as of June 2023) |
| num_employees | 7,139 |
| key_people | {{plainlist |
| * Aedamar Comiskey<ref name | "auto" |
| (Senior Partner and Chair)}} | |
| revenue | £1.9 billion |
| profit_per_equity_partner | £1.8 million |
| date_founded | 1838 |
| company_type | Limited liability partnership |
| homepage | |
| :: |
| name = Linklaters LLP | logo = [[File:Linklaters.svg|200px|Linklaters]] | headquarters = London, United Kingdom | num_offices = 30 in 20 countries; 44 in 27 countries when including offices of allied/associated firms | num_lawyers= approx. 3,100 (including 560 Partners) (as of June 2023) | num_employees = 7,139 | key_people = {{plainlist|
- Paul Lewis (Firmwide Managing Partner)
- Aedamar Comiskey (Senior Partner and Chair)}} | revenue = £1.9 billion | profit_per_equity_partner = £1.8 million | date_founded = 1838 | company_type = Limited liability partnership | homepage =
Linklaters LLP is a British multinational law firm, headquartered in London. Founded in 1838, it is one of the five 'Magic Circle' law firms known for their corporate and financial expertise. It currently employs about 3,100 lawyers in 30 offices across 20 countries.
In financial year 2023-24, Linklaters reported revenues of £2.1 billion and average profits per equity partner of £1.9 million. In 2021, Linklaters was ranked second for the number of FTSE 100 clients. For direct deals by institutional investors in the first half of 2016, Linklaters tied for first place. In the 2021 Global Law Firm Brand Index, Linklaters was named as having the world's fourth strongest brand.
History
Linklaters was founded in London in 1838 when John Linklater entered into a partnership with Julius Dods. The firm, initially known as Dods & Linklater, developed a practice in corporate law, including advising on the creation of the Metropolitan Water Board.
On 4 May 1920, the firm, then known as Linklater & Co, merged with another renowned London firm, Paines Blythe & Huxtable, which had been founded by a descendant of Thomas Paine.
For most of the twentieth century, Linklaters & Paines was predominately a domestic corporate law firm, with only a small number of overseas offices. However, in 1998, Linklaters & Alliance was created in partnership with many of Europe's leading law firms, including De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek in Amsterdam, De Bandt van Hecke Lagae in Brussels, Loesch & Wolter in Luxembourg, Lagerlöf & Leman in Stockholm and Oppenhoff & Rädler in Germany. Over the next five years, Linklaters & Paines merged with the last four of these Alliance firms, as well as several other European firms, in Belgium, Luxembourg, Sweden, Germany, Czech Republic and Poland. The firm opened new offices in Amsterdam, Bangkok, Beijing, Budapest, Bucharest, Bratislava, Lisbon, Madrid, Milan, Rome, São Paulo, and Shanghai. In 1999, amid this global expansion, the firm shortened its name to Linklaters.
On 1 April 2005, after Japan enacted laws to allow certain international law firms to open offices in the country, Linklaters created Japan's first fully merged law firm practising Japanese, English and US law.
Linklaters spun off its offices in Bratislava, Bucharest, Budapest and Prague into a separate firm, Kinstellar (an anagram of Linklaters) in 2007. In the aftermath of the credit crunch in 2008, Linklaters cut 270 jobs in London, consisting of around 120 lawyers and 150 other staff. This was reported to be part of managing partner Simon Davies' plan to become a smaller, more profitable organisation. By 2008, Linklaters had the highest gross revenue of any firm in the world, $2.4 billion, buoyed by work including the firm's role as advisor to Lehman Brothers and its world number one ranking for deals by total value.
On 1 May 2012, Linklaters entered into an integrated alliance with Australian law firm Allens. Allens and Linklaters operate two joint ventures in Asia: one focused on energy, resources and infrastructure services, and another on Indonesia in collaboration with domestic firm Widyawan & Partners. On 1 February 2013, the firm entered into an alliance with leading South African law firm Webber Wentzel.
Linklaters also has a best-friend arrangement with Talwar Thakore & Associates, a leading Indian law firm. Furthermore, since 2017 the firm has operated in Saudi Arabia in agreement with Zamakhchary & Co. In 2018, the firm partnered with newly established Zhao Sheng Law Firm in order to practise mainland Chinese law. The joint operation currently has offices in the Shanghai Free-Trade Zone and in Beijing.
In 2021, Linklaters opened an office in Dublin, structured as a separate partnership called "Linklaters & Co", which provides advice on EU law but not Irish domestic law. Later this same year, the firm announced its goal to cut its own Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 70 percent, and its Scope 3 emissions by 50 percent, by 2030.
By 2022, Linklaters had advised on more mergers and acquisitions involving Russian groups than any other major law firm. After Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, the firm was the first major law firm to announce it would end its business in Russia.
Offices
Linklaters was founded and remains headquartered in London. As of 2025, the firm has 30 offices across 21 countries throughout Asia, the Middle East, North America, South America and Europe.
Notable alumni
Notable alumni of the firm include: ::data[format=table title=""]
| Name | Time at Linklaters | Highest role at Linklaters | Later or other roles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christopher Bellamy | 2007 – 2020 | Consultant, Unit Chairman | Former Judge of the Court of First Instance of the European Communities and the Competition Appeal Tribunal |
| Sir Robert Finch | 1969 – 2005 | Partner | Lord Mayor of London |
| G. Godfrey Phillips | 1946 – 1950s | Partner | Former Commissioner General of the Shanghai Municipal Council |
| Dominic Raab | 1998 – 2000 | Trainee in solicitor qualification | Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Secretary of State in several UK government departments |
| Pedro Siza Vieira | 2002 – 2017 | Partner | Portugal's Minister of Economy and Digital Transition and former Deputy Prime Minister |
| :: |
References
References
- "Linklaters - About our business". Linklaters LLP.
- "Two top Hong Kong partners join new firms and make tracks for London".
- (2019-11-06). "Linklaters' top brass see earnings jump by 17% as profit pot hits £25 million".
- (2023-07-25). "Linklaters becomes latest Magic Circle firm to post record revenues".
- "Linklaters, UK | Chambers Rankings".
- "The Legal 500 > Linklaters LLP".
- "Slaughter and May Maintains Lead in Large Listed Client Rankings".
- (2016-07-06). "COMEBACK: Goldman Sachs Tops SWFI Financial Advisory League Table for H1 2016". Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute.
- "Baker McKenzie, DLA Piper, and Dentons top the 2021 Acritas Global Elite Law Firm Brand Index".
- (2013). "Passing the Flame". Linklaters and GM Toucari.
- (2013). "Passing the Flame". Linklaters and GM Toucari.
- (2013). "Passing the Flame". Linklaters and GM Toucari.
- (2013). "Passing the Flame". Linklaters and GM Toucari.
- (21 August 1998). "Law: The firm that wants to conquer the world". [[The Independent]].
- (2013). "Passing the Flame". Linklaters and GM Toucari.
- (2009-01-29). "Linklaters: 270 London jobs to go". The Lawyer.
- (2009-01-23). "Linklaters to axe up to 70 partners in massive shake-up". The Lawyer.
- "Linklaters LLP".
- "AAR, Linklaters Agree on Alliance to Compete Internationally".
- "Allens and Linklaters form integrated alliance". Allens.
- "Webber Wentzel to form alliance with leading global firm". Webber Wentzel.
- "Magic Lawyers - Talwar Thakore & Associates".
- (26 June 2019). "Linking Up: Linklaters' joint operations partner Zhao Sheng opens Bejing [sic] branch".
- "Linklaters | Ireland".
- Pollock, Sean. (14 March 2021). "'Magic Circle' firm Linklaters in new Dublin office talks". [[Irish Independent]].
- Daly, Linda. (14 March 2021). "Magic circle law firm Linklaters conjures up first Irish office". [[The Times]].
- (10 March 2021). "Linklaters sets sights on becoming first magic circle law firm in Dublin".
- "Linklaters Latest Law Firm Set For Dublin Office Launch".
- "Linklaters pledges to cut carbon emissions by at least half over next decade".
- Beioley, Kate. (2022-03-05). "Lawyers cut ties with Kremlin-linked clients as reputational risks mount". Financial Times.
- "Linklaters - Contact us". Linklaters LLP.
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