Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP

Key Distinctions

Counsel to Over 50 Sovereigns

Ranked No. 2 for Global Announced M&A by Value (Mergermarket, 2017)

Largest Ever Sovereign Debt Restructuring

Largest Ever Leveraged Buyout

Largest Ever Real Estate Transaction

Largest Ever Patent Portfolio Sale

Most Prominent Antitrust Case of the Decade

Represented Over 50 Financial Institutions in Financial Crisis-Related Litigation

Who We Are

Cleary Gottlieb is a pioneer in globalizing the legal profession, known for its prescient, early foray into Europe. Expanding beyond its New York and DC offices in 1946, the firm set up shop in Paris in 1949, hiring local lawyers who were partially trained in the United States and giving the foreign lawyers equal partnership. The firmed opened an office in Brussels in 1960, just a few years before the formation of the European Community in 1967, which is based in the city. The firm would then play a leading role in the burgeoning Eurodollar markets. A London outpost followed in 1971 and a Hong Kong office in 1980. As other firms discovered international expansion in the 1990s and 2000s, Cleary added another five European offices. More recently, the firm has continued its expansion in Asia, South America, and the Middle East over the last decade or so. Still, no matter how far the firm roams, Wall Street will always be home.

From the beginning, our lawyers and staff have worked across practices, industries, jurisdictions, and continents to provide clients with simple, actionable approaches to their most complex legal and business challenges, whether domestic or international. We support every client relationship with intellectual agility, commercial acumen, and a human touch.

We have a proven track record for serving with innovation. We are fluent in the many languages of local and global business. And we have achieved consistent success in multiple jurisdictions.

An Integrated Global Partnership

We have 16 offices in major financial centers around the world, but we operate as a single, integrated global partnership and not a U.S. firm with a network of overseas locations.

• All Cleary clients enjoy access to the full resources provided by our offices and lawyers worldwide.
• The firm employs approximately 1,200 lawyers from more than 50 countries.
• Cleary received Chambers and Partners’ inaugural International Law Firm of the Year award, recognizing our global practice and our pioneering tradition of developing homegrown talent in the different countries where we operate.

Clients

We serve international and national business organizations, financial institutions, sovereign governments and their agencies, nonprofits and community organizations, and civil rights and human rights groups.

Notable clients include:

Partnership and Firm Culture

Our firm’s organization and governance emphasize democratic and participatory ideals. To promote the full application of Cleary’s resources in the best service of our clients’ needs, we operate on a seniority-based compensation system for all of our lawyers, and we expect each partner to contribute equally to the firm’s success.

We strive to admit to our partnership lawyers with demonstrated qualities of character, leadership and intelligence, who have the proven legal skills that will enable them to contribute significantly to our practice over the long term.

• Over 40 percent of our partners are based outside of the United States.
• More than one-third of our partners have served in two or more Cleary offices.
• Approximately 90 percent of our current partners joined the firm as associates.

Our associates also actively participate in a number of important committees in various offices on a range of issues, including diversity, professional development, and recruiting.

Consistent with the vision of our founders, Cleary remains committed to building a community focused on openness, diversity, individuality and collegiality. Learn more about our firm’s diversity initiatives.

The essence of the firm’s culture is represented by our lawyers: talented and intellectually accomplished people of all nationalities, races and interests, who believe that the practice of law is a privilege that carries responsibility. Together we apply our legal knowledge for the benefit of those in need, dedicating a substantial amount of time and resources to pro bono legal work and other community activities. Learn more about Cleary’s pro bono program.

Our Recognition

Firm and practice:

Workplace and Pro Bono:

View Cleary’s latest matters, press releases, and honors.