History
In the beginning
Linklaters can trace its roots back to 1838 - and we have been a
leading firm in the City of London pretty much ever since. In the
1970s we started to develop a network of overseas offices on the
back of the markets' use of English law and the English language on
international financings. It was a gentle start: we
had approximately two or three partners in each major
financial centre.
Going places
In the early 1990s globalisation really took off. Deregulation
opened up the markets and allowed easier movement of money and
trade, while technology broke down the barriers of time and
geography, ensuring things happened faster than ever before. There
was a huge decision for the firm to make about our own direction
and strategy. Clients were becoming increasingly international and
we had to decide if we were going to remain a UK-focused firm
operating in English law in the UK market, or become a global
player aligned around the world's major companies and financial
institutions. In 1996 we made the decision to go global and, as a
first step, we created an alliance with other leading firms in
Europe called Linklaters & Alliance.
By the late 1990s we knew that a federation of firms was just
the start. Our clients were transforming rapidly and we needed more
focus and co-ordinated management to achieve our strategic purpose.
It was obvious to us that we needed to become a single,
globally-integrated firm.
The world at our feet
Our first merger happened in 2001 and we tripled in size within
just 18 months. It was a phenomenal challenge but it allowed
us to evolve as a true global player. And we have done. We’re now
leaders in Europe and Asia and have a very strong presence across
Eastern Europe and the Middle East. We are also one of the few
international firms able to advise on Japanese law. Closer to
London, we have been building up offices, such as Amsterdam and
Milan, where we have historically been smaller than we needed to
be.
Today, our aim is to become the leading premium global law firm.
Our strategy is strong because we have the will, the expertise and
the sheer ambition to deliver it: culturally, we give individuals
the freedom to deliver the results we need with creativity and
flair, but we share a common sense of purpose and team spirit that
is rare in the professional services sector.