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| Foley & Lardner | |
|---|---|
| Name | Foley & Lardner LLP |
| Founded | 1842 |
| Headquarters | Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| Offices | 23 |
| Attorneys | ~1,000 |
| Practice areas | Corporate law, Intellectual Property, Litigation, Regulatory, Transactional |
Foley & Lardner
Foley & Lardner is a multinational law firm founded in the mid-19th century with headquarters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The firm provides corporate, transactional, intellectual property, and litigation services to clients across technology, life sciences, healthcare, energy, and financial services sectors. With a network of offices in the United States, Europe, and Asia, the firm has represented corporations, startups, universities, and government-related entities in high-profile matters and strategic transactions.
Founded in 1842 in Milwaukee, the firm traces roots to practitioners who engaged with regional commerce, transportation, and banking matters during the expansion of the Midwestern United States. Throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries the firm advised clients involved with the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, industrial manufacturers, and emerging utilities linked to the Second Industrial Revolution. During the post-World War II era Foley & Lardner expanded into corporate transactional work representing clients connected to the Marshall Plan era reconstruction of industry, engaging with matters involving conglomerates and public offerings related to the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ. In the late 20th century the firm developed specialized practices in intellectual property and healthcare as technology companies like IBM, Intel, and pharmaceutical firms such as Pfizer and Merck broadened patent portfolios and regulatory needs. Strategic mergers and lateral hires during the early 21st century increased the firm’s presence in markets served by clients like General Motors, Ford Motor Company, Johnson & Johnson, and financial institutions tied to JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America.
The firm’s practice areas encompass corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, securities, intellectual property litigation and prosecution, healthcare regulatory and transactional work, and complex commercial litigation. Foley & Lardner’s intellectual property group handles patent prosecution and counseling for inventors linked to institutions such as MIT, Stanford University, University of California, and corporate R&D centers for Google and Microsoft. In healthcare and life sciences, the firm advises clients navigating interactions with agencies including the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and represents medical device companies, biotechnology startups, and hospital systems such as Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic. Transactional work includes mergers and acquisitions, private equity matters involving firms like Blackstone and KKR, and capital markets offerings tied to NYSE listings. Regulatory, white-collar defense, intellectual property disputes, and appellate litigation represent additional core services, often intersecting with matters involving Federal Trade Commission, Securities and Exchange Commission, and appellate dockets before the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
The firm has been counsel in significant patent litigation, representing clients in disputes against competitors and in inter partes review proceedings before the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Foley & Lardner has handled acquisition deals for healthcare systems and negotiated licensing arrangements for biotechnology firms involved in collaborations with GlaxoSmithKline and AstraZeneca. The firm has represented automotive suppliers in transactional matters related to General Motors restructurings and advised technology companies in cross-border deals touching entities such as Sony, Samsung, and Qualcomm. In securities and corporate governance, Foley & Lardner has advised boards during proxy contests involving institutional investors like BlackRock and The Vanguard Group and handled compliance responses linked to investigations by the Department of Justice and state attorneys general.
Foley & Lardner operates offices across major U.S. markets and internationally, situating attorneys in cities tied to industry clusters: Chicago, New York City, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Boston, Los Angeles, Houston, and its headquarters in Milwaukee. Internationally, the firm maintains relationships and representative offices that engage with firms and clients in London, Frankfurt, and Tokyo, supporting cross-border transactions with parties from the European Union, United Kingdom, and Japan. The office footprint facilitates representation of multinational corporations, regional emerging-growth companies aligned with incubators at Y Combinator and university tech transfer offices at University of Michigan and University of Wisconsin–Madison.
The firm maintains pro bono programs assisting civil legal aid organizations, public interest groups, and nonprofit institutions including partnerships with entities like Habitat for Humanity, immigration advocacy groups, and civil rights organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union. Foley & Lardner has instituted diversity and inclusion initiatives, aligning with external efforts like the Human Rights Campaign and participating in mentorship networks connected to the National Association for Law Placement and bar associations such as the American Bar Association and the National Bar Association. The firm has developed recruitment and retention programs aimed at improving representation among attorneys from historically underrepresented communities and collaborates with law schools including Harvard Law School, Columbia Law School, Yale Law School, and regional schools.
Foley & Lardner has received rankings from legal directories and industry publications, appearing in listings by entities such as Chambers and Partners, The Legal 500, and U.S. News & World Report for practices in intellectual property, healthcare, and corporate law. The firm’s practitioners have been recognized with rankings and awards from organizations like World Trademark Review and received accreditation from professional bodies including the American Intellectual Property Law Association. The firm has been cited in analyses by financial and legal press such as The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg for its role in notable transactions and litigation.
Alumni and former attorneys have included jurists, corporate general counsels, and public officials who moved between private practice and roles at institutions such as the United States Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission, state supreme courts, and executive branch positions. Former partners and counsel have gone on to leadership roles at corporations like 3M, Cargill, and healthcare systems, and to academic appointments at law schools including Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law and University of Chicago Law School.
Category:Law firms in the United States