Before Monday, among the U.K.’s top international law firms, Linklaters was generally viewed as the tortoise in the race to break into the U.S. It was somehow a long way behind its more aggressive rivals, despite being resident in the nation for over half-a-century.
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has pursued an aggressive hiring strategy, with some going as far as suggesting the firm is transforming itself into a U.S.-style enterprise. Clifford Chance, despite a history of notorious Stateside fumbles, recently launched a Houston practice with two Latham & Watkins partners, rejuvenating its, ostensibly, dimming U.S. ambition. And then there’s Allen & Overy’s merger with Shearman & Sterling, which is on course to go live in May.
