Clifford Chance

Clifford Chance is the world's largest law firm by headcount. Over 6,000 lawyers across 31 countries generating more than 2.6 billion annually. Created in 1987 through a London merger, it became one of the original magic circle, alongside Alan and Overy, Freshfields, Linklators, and Slaughter in May. Clifford Chance differentiated through aggressive international expansion. Among the first magic circle firms to push into Asia and the first to merge with an American firm, acquiring Rogers and Wells in 2000 for a New York beachhead. That American expansion proved difficult. The cultural gap between London lockstep and New York's eat what you kill model created friction.