CMS
About
CMS
CMS is a large international law firm with deep European roots and a rich heritage in the UK.
The firm’s current structure was established in 1999 through the merger of six European firms creating a so-called "partnership of partnerships" with over 1,400 lawyers. The (admittedly) somewhat unusual structure allowed member firms to retain their separate names while operating under the CMS brand.
The firm's London roots actually trace all the way back to 1779 with the City law practice of T Hewitt. Fast forward 200 years, in 1997 Cameron Markby Hewitt merged with fellow City law firm McKenna & Co to form Cameron McKenna (renamed CMS Cameron McKenna in 1999 after the six-way merger).
More mergers were to come. Most notably in 2017, when highly-regarded mid-market City outfits Nabarro and Olswang joined up with CMS to become CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang - a mouthful which the firm is still legally known by today (in the UK at least).
Today, CMS globally operates through 18 independent member firms, each with its own regional focus, across a whopping 80 offices in nearly 50 countries.
Its most notable member firms include:
- CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang (UK, but with offices across Europe, the Middle East and Asia)
- CMS Hasche Sigle (Germany)
- CMS Francis Lefebvre (France)
- CMS Albiñana & Suárez de Lezo (Spain)
Globally, the firm employs over 6,300 lawyers and more than 1,300 partners, making it the world's fifth-largest law firm by lawyer headcount.
In the UK itself, CMS operates from offices in London, Aberdeen, Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester, Reading and Sheffield.
CMS UK is known for its full-service offering, with particular strengths in real estate (a legacy of Nabarro's highly-regraded real estate practice), media and entertainment (building on Olswang's expertise), corporate/M&A, and energy and infrastructure.
Recent work highlights
Recent deal and industry highlights for CMS include:
£1.8bn acquisition of NHS landlord: In August 2025, CMS advised Primary Health Properties on its £1.79 billion winning bid for Assura, the FTSE 250-listed NHS landlord behind a £3.1 billion portfolio of GP surgeries and medical centres.
Acquisition of Ireland's Biggest Hotels Group: In July 2025, CMS advised on the €1.4 billion acquisition of Dalata, Ireland’s largest hotel group, by a Swedish-Norwegian consortium, in a deal set to shake up the European hotel market.
Dishoom investment: In August 2025, CMS advised high-end Indian restaurant group Dishoom on its investment from PE firm L Catterton. The deal reportedly valued Dishoom at £300 million.
Recent coverage
What is CMS known for?
CMS is a full service corporate law firm, advising clients including companies, financial institutions, and governments. It has strengths across a wide range of practice areas but is probably best known for its expertise in the following areas:
Corporate/M&A
CMS has a highly-regarded M&A practice, especially known for its work on mid-market deals across various sectors, including energy and infrastructure, and media and technology. CMS has a Band 1 ranking by Chambers for mid-market M&A work.
Construction
One of its strongest practices, CMS is known for its advice across contentious and non-contentious construction matters. It is ranked in Band 1 by Chambers for both matter types, as well as for professional negligence disputes.
Real Estate
With one of the biggest real estate teams in the UK, CMS is known for its expertise across a range of commercial real estate matters - an area that legacy firm Nabarro was particularly well known for. It has a Band 2 ranking by Chambers for real estate transactional work, and a Band 1 ranking for real estate litigation.
Media & Entertainment
Leaning on expertise it inherited from legacy firm Olswang, CMS is renowned for its full-service media practice, advising on the full breadth of work across the sector including content production and financing, broadcast and distribution, music, publishing, theatre, sports rights and media regulation. It has Band 2 rankings by Chambers for media and entertainment work.
Financial performance
CMS is among the top 10 biggest law firms in the UK by revenue. In 2024, its revenue was €2.073 billion. This, however, represents the firm’s global revenues across its 18 member firms.
Its UK arm (which extends well beyond the UK - see above) reported revenue of £779 million in 2024/25.
In 2024, its profit per equity partner (PEP) was estimated to be £741,500.
London salaries
Here’s what CMS pays its London trainees and newly qualified (NQ) lawyers:
Who does CMS compete with?
CMS is regarded as a solid mid-market law firm across a number of practice areas. The firm competes with the likes of:
Trainee information
Other things to know
Nestle Trademark Blunder: In June 2024, a blunder by CMS cost client Nestlé its UK trademark for its Crunch chocolate bar after the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) decided it had no valid excuse for filing a key document late. CMS failed to respond to a cancellation action on time.
US Expansion: CMS is one of several City law firms tipped for a possible merger with a US firm. In May 2024, senior partner Charles Currier expressed an interest in expanding the firm's presence into the lucrative US market.
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