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'''Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP''' (informally '''Freshfields''', or '''FBD'''), founded in 1743 is a [[Multinational corporation|multinational]] [[law firm]] headquartered in [[London]] and a member of the [[Magic Circle (law)|Magic Circle]] of elite British law firms. Freshfields is the oldest firm within the Magic Circle and is reported to be the oldest international law firm in the world.<ref name="legalweek.com">{{cite news |url=http://www.legalweek.com/legal-week/wiki/1172037/freshfields-bruckhaus-deringer|date=14 December 2009 |title=Freshfields Brockhaus Deringer |newspaper=[[Legal Week]] }}</ref> Its origins can be traced back to the early 18th century when it was appointed solicitor to the [[Bank of England]]. It continues to advise the [[Bank of England]] today. Freshfields is the top ranked law firm for European, UK and Asia-Pacific M&A.<ref>{{cite news |first1=Rose |last1=Walker |date=6 October 2015 |url=http://www.legalweek.com/legal-week/news/2429012/freshfields-skadden-and-dla-piper-top-m-a-rankings-as-deal-volumes-hit-two-year-low |title=Freshfields, Skadden and DLA Piper top M&A rankings as deal volumes hit two year low |newspaper=Legal Week }}</ref> As of 2015, it is the only magic circle firm to feature in the top five law firms in the world by deal value and is the highest ranked law firm by value in European M&A.<ref name="thelawyer.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.thelawyer.com/news/practice-areas/corporate-news/skadden-reigns-again-in-worldwide-ma-deal-rankings-after-losing-out-to-weil-last-year/3036805.article|title=Skadden reigns again in worldwide M&A deal rankings after losing out to Weil last year|publisher=}}</ref> In Thomson Reuters' UK M&A charts for 2014, Freshfields closed 91 transactions worth over $118 billion, over 50% more by value than the second ranked law firm. ==History== Freshfields traces its British origins to 1743, when partner Samuel Dodd was appointed [[solicitor]] to the [[Bank of England]].<ref name="Slinn, Judy 1993">Slinn, Judy (1993), Freshfields, 1743-1993, London: Freshfields</ref> Freshfields have been the Bank's legal adviser ever since. Freshfields recent mandates include: advising the [[Bank of England]], [[Northern Rock]] and German Government throughout the [[2008 financial crisis]]; and advising the UK Government on the privatisations of [[Royal Mail]], [[Northern Rock]], [[Lloyds Bank]], [[Royal Bank of Scotland]] and [[Eurostar]]. The firm has 28 offices in 17 jurisdictions across [[Asia]], [[Europe]], the [[Middle East]] and [[North America]]. It advises national and multinational corporations, financial institutions and governments. [[James William Freshfield]], the first Freshfield to join the firm, adopted the [[Crest (heraldry)|crest]] of John Freshfield of [[Norwich]] as his own, having seen it as a boy. It was later used as the firm's mark. The emblem represents [[St Michael]] who is depicted as an angel with a spear.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.freshfields.com/en/united_kingdom/careers/trainees/your-guides/freshfields-blog/our-angel-mark/|title=UK Graduates - Home|publisher=Freshfields }}</ref> Clients of the firm have included: [[William Gladstone]], [[Sir Robert Peel]] and [[Nathan Meyer Rothschild]].<ref>{{cite book |title=A History of Freshfields |last=Slinn |first=Judy |authorlink= |coauthors= |year=1984 |publisher=Freshfields |location=London |oclc=59021160 |pages= |url= }}</ref> Bruckhaus Westrick Heller Löber traced its history back to [[Hamburg]] in 1840; at the time of its merger with Freshfields it was one of the two largest law firms in Germany.<ref name="legalweek.com"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thelawyer.com/sights-set-on-the-big-three/86844.article |date=28 February 2000 |title=Sights set on the big three|publisher=The Lawyer }}</ref> Deringer Tessin Herrmann & Sedemund was founded in 1962 by [[Arved Deringer]] and [[Claus Tessin]] and had been based in [[Cologne]] since 1970. Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer was created in 2000 when [[U.K.]]-based Freshfields merged with two law firms: [[Germany]]-based Deringer, Tessin, Herrmann, & Sedemund and Germany-[[Austria]]-based Bruckhaus, Westrick, Heller, Löber.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thelawyer.com/freshfields-kings-of-europe/109427.article |title=Freshfields: Kings of Europe |date= 29 March 2004 |publisher=TheLawyer.com |accessdate=2011-08-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chambersandpartners.com/Europe/Firms/147-34969 |title=Chambers and Partners Firm Profile |publisher=Chambersandpartners.com |date= |accessdate=2011-08-08}}</ref> The firm changed its name as different partners joined or left the firm until [[James William Freshfield]] (1775–1864) was elected partner.<ref name="Slinn, Judy 1993"/> James Freshfield, his sons and grandsons worked at the firm until the last Freshfield retired in 1918. ==Awards== *"Global Law Firm of the Year" (Who's Who Legal Awards 2013, 2014 ); *"Most Highly Regarded M&A Law Firm in the World" (Who's Who Legal 2012, 2013 and 2014);<ref>http://whoswholegal.com/awards/firmoftheyear/</ref> "European M&A Legal Adviser of the Year" (Mergermarket European Awards 2014);<ref>{{cite web|url=http://digital.mergermarketgroup.com/mergermarketawards2014/|title=Mergermarket European M&A Awards 2015|work=Mergermarket Group Digital}}</ref> *"M&A Team of the Year Asia" (Asia Legal Awards 2015);<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.international.law.com/id=1202719536849/Winners-Announced-for-Asia-Legal-Awards-2015?mcode=1202617074643&curindex=2&slreturn=20150205130145|title=Winners Announced for Asia Legal Awards 2015|date=4 March 2015|work=International}}</ref> *"M&A Team of the Year" (British Legal Awards 2014);<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.britishlegalawards.com/static/winners|title=Winners - The British Legal Awards 2016|publisher=}}</ref> *"M&A team of the year" (IFLR European Awards 2010); *"M&A team of the year" (British Legal Awards 2009 and 2008); *"Germany law firm of the year"; *"UK law firm of the year" (Chambers Europe Awards for Excellence 2009); *"Most innovative law firm" (Financial Times Innovative Lawyers Awards 2009); *"Law firm of the year" (The Lawyer Awards 2008); *"International law firm of the year" (PLC Which Lawyer? Awards 2008). Freshfields has been the top ranked firm in the world for expertise in Antitrust and Competition Law in the Global Competition Law "Global Elite Law Firms Index" for a number of years.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://globalcompetitionreview.com/surveys/article/34688/01-freshfields-bruckhaus-deringer/|title=01. Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer|work=Global Competition Review}}</ref> ==References== {{reflist|30em}} ==External links== *{{official website|http://www.freshfields.com/ }} {{Magic Circle}} [[Category:Law firms of the United Kingdom]] [[Category:1743 establishments in Great Britain]] [[Category:Law firms based in London]] [[Category:Law firms established in 2000]] [[Category:Foreign law firms with offices in the United States]] [[Category:Foreign law firms with offices in Hong Kong]] [[Category:Foreign law firms with offices in Japan]] [[Category:Companies established in 1743]] [[Category:Multinational companies headquartered in the United Kingdom]]