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| Dechert LLP | |
|---|---|
| Name | Dechert LLP |
| Founded | 1875 |
| Headquarters | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Num offices | 22 |
| Num attorneys | 900+ |
| Practice areas | Corporate, Litigation, Financial Services, Intellectual Property, Asset Management |
Dechert LLP Dechert LLP is an international law firm known for its work in corporate finance, litigation, asset management, and financial services. The firm has been involved in major transactions and disputes spanning Wall Street, London, and global arbitration forums, representing clients in matters touching on securities, derivatives, and regulatory investigations. Dechert's lawyers often appear before tribunals and courts connected to the United States Supreme Court, Court of Appeal (England and Wales), and International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes.
Founded in 1875, the firm traces roots to Philadelphia legal practices active during the post‑Civil War era and the Gilded Age, connecting to personnel who practiced before the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania and participated in matters before the United States Circuit Courts. Throughout the 20th century, the firm expanded alongside financial developments in New York City, mergers during the 1980s leveraged buyout era, and cross‑border work tied to the European Union integration and the rise of London as a global finance center. In the 1990s and 2000s the firm grew via lateral hires linked to practices from firms involved in the Enron scandal aftermath, Basel Accords implementation, and post‑2008 regulatory reforms such as the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.
The firm's corporate practice includes representation in mergers and acquisitions connected to Nasdaq Stock Market, New York Stock Exchange, and cross‑border deals involving the European Commission merger control regime. In litigation, partners appear in securities disputes under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and enforcement matters before the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Financial Conduct Authority, and the Manhattan District Attorney's Office. Dechert's financial services group advises banks and asset managers on derivatives tied to International Swaps and Derivatives Association documentation, structured finance linked to Mortgage‑Backed Securities, and insolvency matters that interact with the Bankruptcy Code. In intellectual property, the firm handles patent litigation in venues such as the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and counsels clients on trademark matters before the European Intellectual Property Office.
The firm has represented underwriters in initial public offerings on NYSE and NASDAQ and defended corporations in securities class actions influenced by precedents from the U.S. Supreme Court on pleading standards. Dechert litigators have represented banks in cross‑border disputes related to sovereign debt connected to cases before the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act regime and investor‑state arbitrations at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes. The firm has advised hedge funds in enforcement matters involving the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and defended executives in high‑profile prosecutions prosecuted by the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York. In restructuring work, Dechert lawyers acted in complex Chapter 11 proceedings and cross‑border insolvencies implicating rules from the Insolvency Service and UNCITRAL guidelines.
Dechert maintains offices across major financial centers including Philadelphia, New York City, London, Paris, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Tokyo. Its London office engages with matters arising under English law and litigation before the Commercial Court (England and Wales), while the Hong Kong and Singapore offices focus on disputes tied to Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation regions and banking regulators such as the Monetary Authority of Singapore. The firm's transatlantic platform supports transactions across the European Union and United States markets and participates in international arbitration seated in cities like Geneva and Paris.
Dechert has been ranked in categories by publications tracking law firm performance, securing placements in league tables for M&A by deal volume on the London Stock Exchange and fee rankings reported by financial press tied to Thomson Reuters data. Practice groups have received accolades from directories that evaluate firms under criteria set by the Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners, with individual attorneys listed as notable counsel by institutions such as the American Bar Association panels and regional bar associations including the New York State Bar Association.
The firm reports commitments to pro bono work supporting clients before immigration authorities such as the Executive Office for Immigration Review and civil rights matters in courts influenced by precedents from the Civil Rights Act of 1964 litigation. Diversity programs have included affiliations with organizations like the National Association for Law Placement, partnerships with affinity groups such as the Minority Corporate Counsel Association, and internal initiatives to increase representation among bar members listed with state bars like the Pennsylvania Bar Association and New York State Bar Association.
Dechert is organized with practice‑group leadership structures featuring chairs who have previously held roles in committees of the American Bar Association or served as adjunct professors at law schools such as University of Pennsylvania Law School and Columbia Law School. Management typically includes a global managing partner and executive committees that coordinate strategy across offices in jurisdictions governed by laws from the United Kingdom and the United States.
The firm has faced scrutiny in matters involving conflict‑of‑interest allegations and advice in contentious cross‑border transactions subject to investigation by regulators like the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Financial Conduct Authority. Past controversies include internal investigations tied to conduct examined in litigation before the State Bar of California and disclosures in proceedings influenced by standards from the New York State Judicial Conference. Critics have also raised questions about law firm billing practices that mirror debates engaged by the Federal Trade Commission on professional services competition.
Category:Law firms