Editing Dechert

{{Infobox Law Firm
| name           = Dechert LLP
| logo           = [[File:DechertLLP.png|frameless]]
| headquarters    = [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]]
| num_offices     = 28 total (15 international)
| num_attorneys   = approximately 1000 (2017)
| num_employees   =
| practice_areas  = General practice
| key_people      = CEO Henry Nassau, <br/>Chairman [[Andrew J. Levander]]
| revenue         =   <!-- amount (year) -->
| date_founded    = 1875
| founder         = [[Wayne MacVeagh]] and George Tucker Bispham
| company_type    = [[Limited liability partnership]]
| slogan         = Distinctively Dechert
| homepage        = [http://www.dechert.com/ dechert.com]
| }}
'''Dechert LLP''' is an international [[law firm]] of more than 900 lawyers with top-ranked practices in [[Corporate law|corporate]] and [[Securities regulation in the United States|securities]], complex litigation, finance and [[real estate]], and financial services and asset management. Dechert has offices throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. It was founded in [[Philadelphia]] and is registered as a [[limited liability partnership]] under [[Pennsylvania]] law.

==History==
The firm's first predecessor was formed in 1875 by [[Wayne MacVeagh]] and George Tucker Bispham. MacVeagh had previously served as [[United States Ambassador to Turkey]], and went on to become [[United States Attorney General]] under President [[James Garfield]] and also [[United States Ambassador to Italy]] during the 1890s. Bispham was made a professor at [[University of Pennsylvania Law School]] in 1884. Another future U.S. Attorney General, [[Francis Biddle]], also a professor at the [[University of Pennsylvania Law School]], joined the firm in 1916.  In its early years, the firm represented a number of banks, railroads, and coal companies.<ref name=Gale>[http://www.answers.com/topic/dechert Dechert company profile by Gale Group, courtesy of Answers.com]</ref>

During [[World War II]], the firm lost many of its attorneys to the war effort, and combined with another Philadelphia-based law firm, Dechert, Smith & Clark, which had been founded in 1930. The firm began creating specialized practice groups shortly after the war.<ref name=Gale/>  After a series of name changes in the early 1960s, the firm decided not to change its name whenever its most senior partners retired or died; it remained Dechert, Price & Rhoads for several decades thereafter.

During the 1980s, Dechert represented [[Getty Oil Company]] in its acquisition by [[Texaco]]. This is the deal that led to the notorious ''[[Pennzoil#Pennzoil v. Texaco|Pennzoil v. Texaco]]'' case, which resulted in a [[Texas]] state court verdict for Pennzoil for $10.53 billion, forcing Texaco to file for [[Chapter 11, Title 11, United States Code|Chapter 11 bankruptcy]].<ref name=Gale/>

===International expansion===
Dechert opened its first European office in [[Brussels]] in 1968. Four years later, Dechert opened a [[London]] office. The firm established a presence in [[Paris]] in 1995 and undertook a major expansion in the United Kingdom through a merger with Titmuss Sainer Dechert, a leading London law firm, in 2000. Since then, Dechert has opened offices in [[Luxembourg]] (2001), [[Munich]] (2004), [[Hong Kong]] (2007), [[Beijing]] (2008), [[Moscow]] (2009), [[Dublin]] (2010), [[Los Angeles]] (2011), [[Frankfurt]]/[[Bonn]] (2012), [[Almaty]] (2012), [[Dubai]] (2012), [[Tbilisi]] (2012), [[Chicago]] (2012) and [[Singapore]] (2014). Through an association with the Law Firm of Hassan Mahassni, Dechert also has a presence in [[Jeddah]] (2015) and [[Riyadh]] (2016).

==Practice areas==
The firm's core practices are corporate and securities, with an emphasis on [[mergers and acquisitions]], [[private equity]], and [[corporate finance]]; [[litigation]], emphasizing [[United States antitrust law|antitrust]], [[product liability]], and [[White-collar crime|white collar]] and securities defense; finance and real estate, with a focus on [[mortgage loan|mortgage]] finance, [[structured finance]], [[securitization]], and investment; [[financial services]], focusing on [[mutual funds]], [[hedge funds]], variable products, [[broker-dealer]], [[Commodity market|commodities]], [[Derivative (finance)|derivatives]], and investment advisers; and intellectual property, emphasizing [[patent]] litigation, IP prosecution and licensing, off-shoring and outsourcing, and privacy and data protection.

The firm also has well-established practices in [[Tax law|tax]], [[Bankruptcy in the United States|bankruptcy]], [[Employment law|employment]], [[Health law|health]], [[energy]] and [[environmental law]], and [[international trade]]. The firm has a particularly comprehensive [[life sciences]] group.

==Notable lawyers and alumni==
*[[Harvey Bartle III]], chief judge of the United States District Court Eastern District of Pennsylvania
*[[Joseph S. Clark]], mayor of Philadelphia (1952–56) and United States senator for Pennsylvania (1957–69)
*[[Graham Francis Defries]], co-creator of the ''[[Queens Counsel (comic strip)|Queens Counsel]]'' comic strip
*[[Q. Todd Dickinson]], former [[Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property]]
*[[Glenn Fine]], former inspector general for the [[US Department of Justice|U.S. Department of Justice]]
*[[Miriam González Durántez]], head of international trade practice
*[[Paul G. Haaga, Jr.]], vice chairman of Capital Research and Management Company, a constituent company of the [[Capital Group Companies]]
*[[David N. Kelley]], former United States Attorney and Deputy U.S. Attorney for the [[United States District Court for the Southern District of New York]]
*Edward A. McDonald, portrayed himself as a federal prosecutor in [[Martin Scorsese]]'s "[[Goodfellas]]"
*[[Mary A. McLaughlin]], judge for the United States District Court Eastern District of Pennsylvania
*[[Lisa Scottoline]], best selling ''[[New York Times]]'' author
*[[Norma Levy Shapiro]], first woman partner and retired judge for the United States District Court Eastern District of Pennsylvania
*[[Arlen Specter]], United States senator for Pennsylvania
*[[Scooter Libby]], chief of staff to Vice President [[Dick Cheney]] (2001-2005)
*[[Cheryl Ann Krause]], United States Circuit Judge of the [[United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit]]
*[[Steven Engel]], deputy assistant attorney general in the Office of Legal Counsel under [[George W. Bush]] and nominee to become [[United States Assistant Attorney General]] for the [[Office of Legal Counsel]] in the [[Presidency of Donald Trump|Donald Trump administration]]

[[File:Cira Centre, Philadelphia-east.JPG|thumb|right|220px|Dechert's headquarters moved to Philadelphia's [[Cira Centre]] in 2005.]]

==Pro bono activities==
Dechert has been recognized among the top 10 U.S. law firms for [[pro bono]] work in ''The American Lawyer'''s Pro Bono Survey, an annual report which rates the nation's 200 highest grossing law firms based on their level of pro bono activity. The report measures the average number of pro bono hours per lawyer as well as the percentage of lawyers who performed more than 20 hours of pro bono work. In August 2014, Dechert received the [[American Bar Association]] Pro Bono Publico Award.

In 2011, Dechert lawyers averaged 101.4 hours of pro bono work, with 92.8% completing more than 20 pro bono hours. Suzanne Turner, chair of the firm's pro bono practice, was also noted for her groundbreaking efforts to increase pro bono work globally, including roundtables she has convened for U.S. and U.K. firms in Munich, Paris, Brussels and Hong Kong since 2007.

"In many parts of the world, including the United States, the legal needs of the poor continue to go unmet," said Turner. "Dechert’s pro bono program aspires to play a role in narrowing that justice gap and ensuring that individuals and organizations, who otherwise would not be able to afford a lawyer, receive legal assistance."<ref>http://www.dechert.com/Dechert_Recognized_Among_Top_10_Law_Firms_for_Pro_Bono_Work_by_The_American_Lawyer_06-28-2012/</ref>

Dechert lawyers handle pro bono matters covering issues such as civil rights, international human rights, child advocacy, special education, access to public benefits, asylum, landlord-tenant matters and the representation of numerous nonprofit organizations. Since 2004, Dechert attorneys have been filing habeas corpus petitions on behalf of captives held in extrajudicial detention by the U.S. at Guantanamo Bay.<ref>Caulfield, Christine.[http://www.law360.com/articles/211567/law360-picks-10-pro-bono-standouts "Law 360 Picks 10 Pro Bono Standouts"], Law360, 24 November 2010</ref> Recent pro bono successes include securing a settlement on behalf of voting rights groups and individuals in Georgia for the state's failure to comply with the National Voter Registration Act; achieving a class action settlement on behalf of inmates in Passaic County, NJ to correct unconstitutional and inhumane conditions at the Passaic County Jail; launching private investment funds on behalf of the Eleos Foundation, a non-profit organization that invests in and partners with social entrepreneurs to help eradicate poverty in developing nations; and reuniting an Iraqi interpreter for the U.S. military with her two sons as part of a partnership with the List Project to Resettle Iraqi Allies.

Dechert is a signatory to the [[Pro Bono Institute]]’s Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge®<ref>[http://www.probonoinst.org/projects/law-firm-pro-bono/law-firm-pro-bono-challenger-signatory-law-firms/law-firm-pro-bono-challenger-signatories-list.html "Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge Signatories List"], Pro Bono Institute.</ref> and is also a signatory to the United Kingdom's Joint Protocol for Pro Bono Legal Work.<ref>[http://lawworks.org.uk/protocol-signatories “Protocol Signatories”], Law Works.</ref> The firm annually dedicates three percent of its total billable hours to pro bono work and requires all U.S.-based attorneys to perform a minimum of 25 hours of pro bono work per year.<ref>[http://www.dechert.com/pro_bono/ "Pro Bono"], DechertLLP</ref>

Dechert has received the following awards in recognition of its pro bono achievements:

*The American Lawyer’s annual Pro Bono Scorecard<ref>[http://www.americanlawyer.com/PubArticleTAL.jsp?id=1202498760284 "Pro Bono Report 2011"], The American Lawyer</ref>
*Citizens Bank Pro Bono Award (Philadelphia)<ref>[https://www.reuters.com/article/2009/10/28/idUS194660+28-Oct-2009+PRN20091028 "Two Philadelphia Law Firms and Executive Director of Community Legal Services to Receive Prestigious Philadelphia Bar Foundation Awards"], Reuters, 28 October 2009</ref>
*City Bar Justice Center’s Jeremy G. Epstein Award for Pro Bono Service<ref>[http://www2.nycbar.org/citybarjusticecenter/news-a-media/press-releases/208-city-bar-justice-center-announces-winners-of-third-annual-jeremy-g-epstein-awards-for-pro-bono-service "City Bar Justice Center Announces Winners of Third Annual Jeremy G.Epstein Awards for Pro Bono Service"], City Bar Justice Center</ref>
*First Judicial District’s Pro Bono Roll of Honor<ref>[http://www.philadelphiabar.org/page/NewsItem?newsItemID=1001097, "First Judicial District 'Roll of Honor' for Pro Bono Service"], Philadelphia Bar Association, 28 January 2011</ref>
*The Legal Intelligencer and Volunteers for the Indigent Program’s Unsung Hero Award<ref>[http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/PubArticlePA.jsp?id=1202546970558 "2012 Unsung Heroes"], The Legal Intelligencer, 27 March 2010</ref>
*National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty's Pro Bono Counsel Award<ref>[http://www.nlchp.org/view_newsletter.cfm?id=66 "In Just Times"], National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty, October 2010</ref>
*National Legal Aid & Defender Association's 2011 Beacon of Justice Award<ref>[http://www.nlada.org/About/About_Awards "Awards"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120717073540/http://www.nlada.org/About/About_Awards |date=2012-07-17 }}, National Legal Aid & Defender Association</ref>
*New York Legal Aid Society’s Pro Bono Publico Award<ref>[http://www.legal-aid.org/media/150986/journal%20ad%20final.pdf "The Legal Aid Society's 2011 Pro Bono Publico Awards"], The Legal Aid Society</ref>
*Philadelphia Volunteers for the Indigent Program’s Chancellor Award and Silver Gavel Award<ref>[https://phillyvip.org/content/volunteer-awards "Volunteer Awards"], Philly VIP</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
* [http://www.dechert.com/ Dechert LLP official website]
*[http://www.martindale.com/Dechert-LLP/law-firm-270878.htm Profile] from [[LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell]]
{{Philadelphia Corporations}}

[[Category:Intellectual property law firms]]
[[Category:Biopharmaceutical law firms]]
[[Category:Law firms based in Philadelphia]]
[[Category:Law firms established in 1875]]
[[Category:1875 establishments in Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Foreign law firms with offices in Hong Kong]]
[[Category:Partnerships]]