Cleary Gottlieb

Cleary Gottlieb is a prestigious US firm and part of the “white-shoe” New York set, with a reputation built on high-end, cross-border work.

The firm was founded by seven partners from Wall Street firm Root Clark Buckner and Howland, and launched simultaneously in NYC and Washington DC in 1946. Cleary came to London in 1971, making it one of the first American firms to cross the pond.

With around 1,100 lawyers, the firm is smaller relative to its elite US counterparts and well-known for its lean model with relatively limited internal silos, where lawyers often work across practice areas. The firm emphasises its focus on organic growth in lieu of raiding other firms for partners.

The firm has had an international platform since the beginning - it opened a Paris office just three years after its founding. Today, its 14 offices operate as a single global partnership - one that hit $1.7 billion in revenue in 2024, placing it in the top 40 largest firms in the world by revenue.

In the US, Cleary has long been recognised for its strength in banking and finance, capital markets, antitrust and corporate governance. It also has a distinctive niche advising sovereign states and central banks, particularly on debt restructurings and foreign investment - work that plays to its international reach.

London is a key part of that global platform. The office focuses on M&A, finance, capital markets, disputes and competition, and plays a central role in the firm’s cross-border European work. 

While less aggressive in its expansion than some US rivals, Cleary’s strategy has remained consistent: a tightly integrated international offering, anchored in complex, high-value matters rather than scale for its own sake.

Other things to know

Representing states: Advising sovereign wealth funds and sovereign states themselves is a well-established element of the firm’s global platform. Cleary has previously acted for Mongolia, the Republic of Congo, Greece, Puerto Rico and the Ivory Coast in matters related to national debt restructuring and resources.

Legal AI acquisition: Cleary acquired London-based legal AI company Springbook AI in 2025. The deal saw it bring in a team of engineers and data scientists to accelerate internal product development and custom client solutions.

‍Non-equity partnership: Like many US firms, Cleary introduced a salaried partner tier in 2024 - a move widely seen as a way to retain talent while also boosting firm-wide profitability.

What is Cleary best known for?

Cleary is a full service corporate law firm. In the UK market, it is best known for its expertise in the following areas:

Corporate/M&A: Cleary focuses on large, complex cross-border deals for blue chip corporates, financial institutions, PE firms and other companies. The firm is ranked Band 3 in Chambers for the biggest value deals.

Competition: Experienced in disputes, EU regulatory matters and obtaining regulatory clearance for large transactions before the CMA, Cleary’s London antitrust team is ranked Band 2 in Chambers for both competition and competition litigation.

Capital markets: Cleary has highly regarded debt and equity capital markets practices. The firm has a Band 2 ranking in Chambers for DCM and Band 2 for ECM.

‍Private Equity: Known for its work on the biggest buyouts, Cleary works for many major sponsor clients. Its private equity practice has a Band 3 ranking from Chambers.

What's Chambers?

We use Chambers rankings to demonstrate a firm's strengths. Chambers is the most highly-regarded provider of law firm rankings in the legal industry. Law firms are ranked in bands from 1 (highest) to 6 (lowest) across a range of practice areas.

It's important to note that being ranked in any band at all is still considered a significant achievement.

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Who does Cleary compete with?

Cleary sits in a fairly distinct lane - elite, international, but deliberately not scaled like the very top US giants. Its closest competitors tend to be other white-shoe or highly international firms.

In 2024, Cleary's total revenue was $1.7 billion, according to ALM / Law.com.

In 2024, its profit per equity partner (PEP) was $5.2 million, according to ALM / Law.com.

How much does a partner at Cleary make?

In 2024, Cleary’s average profit per equity partner (PEP) was $5.2 million.

This is the total amount of profit available for distribution among equity partners, divided by the number of equity partners at the firm.

This represents the average amount that equity partners are entitled to. Some will receive significantly more, some less. It depends on the firm’s profit-sharing formula and each partner’s seniority.

‍How many trainees does Cleary take?‍

In London, Cleary recruits around 14 to 16 trainees each year.