BCLP

BCLP (Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner) is a large transatlantic law firm formed in 2018 from the merger of US firm Bryan Cave and City stalwart Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP).

The transatlantic tie-up expanded the firm’s global reach and bundled together complementary strengths to create a firm with combined revenues of over $900 million.

Berwin Leighton Paisner had a solid reputation in the City - BCLP is still considered a member of the Silver Circle today - and brought its market-leading real estate and infrastructure practices to  the table, having been a prominent player in the UK legal market since its inception in 1970. Bryan Cave, meanwhile, brought serious corporate and litigation clout from its St. Louis roots (founded in 1873).

BLP was also something of a trailblazer in the field of so-called "alternative legal services” - offering legal support services to in-house teams outside of a traditional law firm setup.

The firm did this through its Lawyers on Demand (LoD) unit launched in 2007 offering clients a flexible staffing model, providing them with access to lawyers on an interim or project basis without the need for a permanent hire or a traditional secondment. BCLP sold the business to private equity shortly after the merger in 2018.

Today, BCLP boasts an impressive international offering with a strong US focus, employing over 1,200 lawyers and operating from 31 offices across the US (where it counts 20 offices), Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. It also still has two offices outside London in the UK, one in Manchester and the other in Southampton.

While BCLP is a full service firm, it is best known for its top-tier real estate practice which is still its strongest suit. Other departments like corporate and litigation are solid, but occasionally overshadowed by bigger transatlantic or City rivals.

Unfortunately for BCLP, the jury’s still out on whether its 2018 merger was a success, with revenue and headcount trending downwards almost yearly since the combination.