Baker McKenzie, DLA Piper, Clifford Chance Lead Acritas Global Elite Brand Index
Baker McKenzie, DLA Piper and Clifford Chance top the latest Acritas Global Elite Brand Index, as the firms most top of mind and most favored by corporate clients with more than US$1B in global revenues, as well as most considered for multi-jurisdictional deals and litigation.
Baker McKenzie has increased its lead atop the index for the past seven years. While many firms moved up or down within the top 20 this year, only four firms closed the gap on Baker McKenzie based on points: White & Case, CMS, Morgan Lewis and Kirkland & Ellis.
The report largely reflects how clients’ needs have become increasingly global, with an increasing share of spend has been allocated internationally. Clients say they are looking for advisors who can provide multi-jurisdictional support across a range of different practice areas in a consistent and coordinated manner.
Dentons has been the biggest riser in the index over the last decade, closing the gap on Baker McKenzie by 16 points. The firm increased its global coverage to a whopping 73 countries over the last ten years. King & Wood Mallesons, meanwhile, has been the second-biggest riser over the same time period, in large part because of its growing presence in China.
Watch an interview with Lisa Hart Shepherd, vice president of Research and Advisory Services at Thomson Reuters, on the increasing globalization of leading law firms.