Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer was created in 2000 when U.K.-based Freshfields merged with the two law firms, Germany-based Deringer Tessin Herrmann & Sedemund and Germany-and-Austria-based Bruckhaus Westrick Heller Löber.[8][9]

Dubbed as the oldest firm within the Magic Circle,[10] Freshfields' origins arguably go back to around 1716, when Thomas Woodford began to practise law. Woodford was succeeded in his practice in 1730 by William Wall, who was succeeded in turn in 1743 by Samuel Dodd.[11] That same year, Dodd was appointed attorney to the Bank of England.[12] In 1788, Winter and Kaye began advising Sir Richard Arkwright, inventor of the water frame.[13] When James William Freshfield joined in 1800, Dodd had died and the Freshfields family became the dominant force in the law firm.[14] Dodd's appointment is treated by Freshfields as the firm's foundation date.[15]

The firm changed its name on numerous occasions as different partners joined or left. In 1800, James William Freshfield (1775–1864) was the first member of the Freshfield family to become a partner, and the firm became known as Winter, Kaye, Beckwith & Freshfield.[16] Following further name changes, it became Freshfield & Son in 1825,[17] and eventually Freshfields 1868–76, Freshfields & Williams 1876–98, Freshfields 1899–1918, Freshfields & Leese 1918–1921, Freshfields, Leese & Munns 1921–1945,[18] and Freshfields 1946–2000.[12][11] The last member of the Freshfield family to be a partner, another James William Freshfield, retired in 1927.[19][20]

Bruckhaus Westrick Heller Löber traces its origins back to Hamburg in 1840.[21] At the time of its 2000 merger with Freshfields,[22] the firm was one of the two largest law firms in Germany. Deringer Tessin Herrmann & Sedemund was founded in 1962 by Arved Deringer and Claus Tessin and was based in Cologne from 1970 to 2000.[23][24]

In 2019, the firm became the first non-US law firm to raise the salaries of newly qualified junior lawyers in the United Kingdom to £100,000,[25][26] then £125,000 in 2022.[27]

In September 2020, Freshfields announced Georgia Dawson as its new senior partner after time leading the firm’s Asia operations.[28][29] In October 2022, the firm announced the appointment of Jake Reynolds as its head of Client Sustainability and Environment to support energy transition, human rights, corporate governance, climate change and sustainable finance.[30][31]

• List of largest law firms by revenue
• List of largest law firms by profits per partner
• Magic Circle (law firms)

• Slinn, Judy (1984). A History of Freshfields. London: Freshfields. OCLC 59021160.
• Slinn, Judy (2007) [2004]. "Freshfield family". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/49721. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

• Official website