Mayer Brown

Mayer Brown came about through a series of successful mergers and partnerships, including one of the first successful transatlantic mergers with UK firm Rowe & Maw in 2002. Two decades later, Mayer Brown now operates from 27 offices globally, representing a significant proportion of the Fortune 100, FTSE 100, CAC 40, DAX, Hang Seng and Nikkei index companies and more than half of the world’s largest banks. Its 2024-2027 strategic focus centres on key sectors including insurance, projects, infrastructure, and energy, funds and asset management, international arbitration, capital markets, lending and private credit, financial services regulatory, and industry-specific M&As. Banking and finance is one of Mayer Brown’s signature strengths globally and in London. The firm consistently tops the Legal 500 UK in asset-based lending and holds tier 2 rankings in securitisation and other structured products, trade finance, fund finance, debt capital markets (including emerging markets and high yield), project finance, real estate finance, and derivatives. In 2023, the firm advised Citibank, Royal Bank of Canada and others in a €3 billion financing of KKR's acquisition of a portfolio originated by PayPal across Europe, showcasing its capability to facilitate deal-making between legacy banks and emerging private lenders in cross-border finance transactions. Disputes is Mayer Brown’s largest global practice, with 450 lawyers (out of 1,900) handling complex, cross-border disputes. In London, the firm is a go-to for international banks on financial product disputes, insolvency, restructuring, and sanctions issues. It also has deep expertise in disputes affecting the global construction, energy and infrastructure industries, and related contentious insurance and reinsurance matters. In 2024, Mayer Brown was featured in The Lawyer’s Top 20 Cases for its representation of UK-based construction company Shepherd in a £70m construction and cladding dispute. The 12-party case was one of the first to consider the new cause of action against cladding manufacturers under s149 of the Building Safety Act and define the legal principles surrounding fire safety issues, which are top-of-mind for Mayer Brown’s construction, real estate, and insurance clients. Beyond high-profile client work, Mayer Brown fosters a strong pro bono culture, led in London by a dedicated Head of Pro Bono and CSR, Mehreen Malik. Trainees play an active role, contributing at least 20 hours of pro bono work annually. At more senior levels, at least 3% of billable time each year is dedicated each year to providing legal support to disadvantaged individuals and the organisations that assist them, such as the Marine Conservation Society, Community Music, and Gendered Intelligence. In 2023, Mayer Brown was awarded the LawWorks’ Most Effective Pro Bono Partnership Award for its role in the Green Tech Legal Collaborative, a pioneering initiative offering legal support to startups advancing innovative solutions towards a more sustainable future.