Magic
Circle
firm
Freshfields
is
looking
to
expand
beyond
its
U.K.
roots.
Well,
to
be
fair,
it
already
has,
with
28
offices
across
the
globe.
But
it
has
its
sights
set
on
the
United
States
to
make
the
firm’s
footprint
even
bigger
—
specifically
Texas
and
Boston.
As
senior
partner
Georgia
Dawson
told
Bloomberg
Law,
“There’s
quite
a
lot
of
market
interest
within
particular
practice
areas
around
Texas
and
Boston.”
She
continued,
“So
we’ll
just
keep
watching
and
evaluating,
and
then
determine
whether
it’s
a
good
time
to
do
anything.”
The
firm
has
been
focused
on
the
U.S.
since
2020,
when
they
opened
their
Silicon
Valley
office.
And
the
firm
has
pursued
laterals
in
the
U.S.,
doubling
their
American
headcount,
with
the
financials
positively
reflecting
the
strategy.
The
firm’s
US
business
grew
by
£137
million
($178
million)
in
revenue
from
2021
to
2023,
accounting
for
about
87%
of
the
firm’s
overall
growth
during
that
time,
according
to
records
filed
with
a
UK
government
regulator.
Still,
the
US
business,
which
generated
£311
million
in
2023,
accounted
for
less
than
20%
of
the
firm’s
reported
£1.8
billion
top
line.That
figure
would
place
Freshfields
around
the
Top
15
US-headquartered
firms
by
revenue.
Its
strategy
has
long
been
linked
to
providing
round-the-globe
service
for
major
clients.If
the
US
business
can
replicate
the
79%
revenue
growth
it
achieved
from
fiscal
2021
to
2023,
the
stateside
lawyers
would
generate
around
£550
million
in
revenue
by
fiscal
2025,
or
around
$715
million
by
current
exchange
rates.
And
Dawson
gave
the
most
British,
understated
response
to
that
rate.
“What
is
gratifying
to
see
is
that
it’s
coming
together
nicely,”
Dawson
said.
“The
market
recognition,
moving
up
the
league
tables,
and
then
the
financial
output
as
well
is
all
heading
in
the
right
direction.”
The
firm
hasn’t
confirmed
any
additional
offices
in
the
U.S.
—
for
now.
But
the
door
is
definitely
open.
Kathryn
Rubino
is
a
Senior
Editor
at
Above
the
Law,
host
of
The
Jabot
podcast,
and
co-host
of
Thinking
Like
A
Lawyer.
AtL
tipsters
are
the
best,
so
please
connect
with
her.
Feel
free
to
email
her
with
any
tips,
questions,
or
comments
and
follow
her
on
Twitter
@Kathryn1 or
Mastodon
@[email protected].