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| MOFO | |
|---|---|
| Name | MOFO |
| Type | Private |
| Founded | 1991 |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, California |
| Key people | David Boies; Mary Jo White; John L. Morgan |
| Industry | Legal services |
| Products | Litigation; Corporate counsel; Intellectual property; Regulatory compliance |
| Revenue | US$1.5 billion (2023) |
| Employees | 1,000+ |
MOFO MOFO is a multinational law firm known for high-profile litigation, corporate transactions, regulatory work, and pro bono practice. The firm represents major corporations, financial institutions, technology companies, and public-sector entities in cross-border disputes and transactional matters. MOFO’s teams frequently appear in matters before appellate courts, arbitration panels, and regulatory agencies.
The firm’s common-name shorthand derives from an abbreviated corporate trade name and is used in media and legal commentary. Founding partners and early managing partners shaped the shorthand as the firm expanded into major legal centers, including offices linked to New York City, London, Hong Kong, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C.. The abbreviated name appears in legal filings, press coverage, and firm branding alongside full corporate names and trade dress registered in jurisdictions such as United States trademark offices and European Union intellectual property registries.
MOFO traces its origins to a regional practice established in the late 20th century with subsequent national expansion through mergers and lateral hires from firms like Cravath, Swaine & Moore, Sullivan & Cromwell, Latham & Watkins, and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. Significant growth phases included a 1990s west-coast consolidation tied to litigation practices that engaged with matters related to Oracle Corporation, Apple Inc., Chevron Corporation, and Pacific Gas and Electric Company. In the 2000s the firm opened international offices in financial hubs such as Hong Kong and Tokyo to serve clients including Cisco Systems, Sony, Nissan Motor Co., and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation. MOFO’s litigation teams have argued cases touching on precedents from courts like the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the United States Supreme Court. The firm’s corporate practice handled mergers and acquisitions, public offerings, and private equity matters for clients such as Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, BlackRock, and Sequoia Capital.
MOFO offers services in litigation, transactional work, regulatory compliance, intellectual property, arbitration, and crisis management. Litigation matters involve civil disputes in venues including the United States District Court for the Northern District of California and international arbitration panels like those under International Chamber of Commerce rules. Intellectual property teams prosecute and litigate patents, trademarks, and trade secrets for clients including Intel Corporation, Qualcomm, Samsung Electronics, and Huawei Technologies. Corporate groups advise on public company governance, securities offerings, and takeover defenses in matters involving Securities and Exchange Commission filings and stock exchange rules such as those of NASDAQ and New York Stock Exchange. The firm’s regulatory practice interacts with agencies such as the Federal Trade Commission, Department of Justice (United States), Financial Conduct Authority, and European Commission on antitrust and compliance inquiries. MOFO’s pro bono efforts have included cases before American Civil Liberties Union affiliates, immigration matters tied to UNHCR-related protections, and civil-rights litigation associated with organizations like Southern Poverty Law Center.
As a private partnership, MOFO is governed by a board of partners and an executive committee, with practice-group chairs and regional managing partners overseeing operations in offices across San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York City, London, Beijing, and Singapore. Equity partners, non-equity partners, counsel, associates, and professional staff form the firm’s staffing hierarchy, with compensation standards benchmarked against leading firms including DLA Piper, Jones Day, and Hogan Lovells. The firm maintains internal compliance systems to align with profession-wide rules promulgated by entities such as the American Bar Association and local bar associations including the State Bar of California and the Bar Council of England and Wales. MOFO also operates affiliated legal entities in jurisdictions governed by corporate law regimes like those of Delaware and England and Wales for regulatory and taxation efficiency.
MOFO has been involved in several public controversies and legal disputes typical for large firms. Public reporting and litigation have linked the firm to contentious corporate-defense matters involving companies such as Pacific Gas and Electric Company, BP, and Wells Fargo, and to securities litigation matters involving underwriters like Citigroup and Deutsche Bank. The firm has faced internal disputes over partner compensation and lateral-hire integration reminiscent of matters at peers like Weil, Gotshal & Manges and Debevoise & Plimpton. Additionally, regulatory inquiries have intersected with matters overseen by the Securities and Exchange Commission, Department of Justice (United States), and international competition authorities such as the European Commission Directorate-General for Competition. MOFO has defended its ethical conduct in disciplinary proceedings brought before state bars and professional oversight bodies in jurisdictions including California and New York.
MOFO has influenced legal culture through landmark representations, thought leadership, and contributions to practice guides and law journals. Partners and alumni have joined public-service roles in institutions such as the United States Department of Justice, Federal Communications Commission, U.S. Department of Treasury, and academic appointments at universities like Harvard University, Stanford University, and University of California, Berkeley. The firm’s marketing and brand presence have been discussed in business outlets covering top firms such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Financial Times, The Economist, and legal trade publications like American Lawyer. MOFO attorneys have earned recognition in directories including Chambers and Partners, Legal 500, and Best Lawyers, and have received awards from industry groups such as the Turnaround Management Association and National Law Journal.
Category:Law firms