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.