Since its launch nearly 30 years ago, Olswang has morphed into much more than a media law boutique. Successful business strategy, a mature firm culture, and the courage to take innovative risks have propelled the firm forward.
The firm: Today Olswang has around 100 partners, and 600 staff across its four offices in London, Berlin, Brussels and the Thames Valley.
Although still known principally for its expertise in TMT — it won the TMT Team of the Year at the Legal Business Awards for the second year running in 2009 — the firm uses its industry and sector knowledge to drive growth in other practice areas.
The firm’s dispute resolution group also benefits from, but is not limited by, Olswang’s traditional client base. Contentious work as a whole, including IP, real estate and employment litigation, currently accounts for around a third of the firm’s revenues.
Olswang’s superb corporate capability was recognized last year. In 2007/2008 the Corporate Group closed 91 M&A deals for a combined deal value of £14bn. This performance ranked Olswang fifteenth in Bloomberg’s Mid Market league tables for the number of announced deals worth up to $50m in Europe. The firm was ranked sixth in the number of announced deals worth up to $50m in the UK.
Another area of focus at the firm that is often underestimated is the strength of its IP offering. Olswang is the UK’s only full service IP law firm. For clients such as Microsoft, the firm can deal in house with UK and EU patent and trade mark filing and prosecution, the licensing and sale of IP, risk assessment and litigation and global IP strategy. This approach is unique and has evolved, yet again, through listening to client demand.
Types of work undertaken: Back in 1981 the newly formed Olswang found its niche in the market by advising independent film production companies, such as GoldCrest. When Channel Four was launched in 1982 Olswang was perfectly placed to advise it in the new arena of independent television work. From there the firm branched out into advertising, acting as principal advisors to leading players such as the advertising agency WCRS Group (which went on to become Aegis Group). Due to client demand the firm also expanded its services to include commercial litigation and real estate capabilities in the mid-80s.
In 2002 it acquired the Thames Valley office of Garretts. In 2003, the firm welcomed the real estate and MCT divisions of DJ Freeman. In 2005, it took on the niche commercial real estate specialists Julian Holy Solicitors. And in 2006 Olswang boosted its real estate, corporate and litigation practices even further with the acquisition of Kanter Jules.
Such expansion wasn’t limited to practice areas. Geographically Olswang has reacted to client demand too. In 1999 it opened an office in Brussels to handle competition and regulatory telecommunications work and in 2007 the Berlin office was set up. Initially the firm’s clients required real estate expertise in Germany, but now they also benefit from an outstanding media team.
Further afield, the firm has looked to the emerging markets and developed an inspiring India practice. Olswang has acted on some of the most iconic Indian corporate deals in London to date including the IPOs of Great Eastern Energy, Noida Toll Bridge, KSK Power, Trinity Capital and DQ Entertainment.
But what sets Olswang apart is its ambition beyond the law. It sees itself as a business, not just a law firm, and as such it seeks opportunities in the wider commercial world. In 1995 the firm founded Informed Sources International Ltd, a strategic consultancy in the media industries in Europe and North America. It was sold to management in 2000. In that same year, the firm founded LongAcre Partners with JP Morgan. Set up as a media focused boutique for European media and internet M&A, it soon became a market leading company and was also later subject to a management buy out. It is this kind of business thinking that sets Olswang apart from other successful law firms.
Other offices:, Berlin, Brussels, London, Thames Valley
Number of UK partners 89
Number of other UK fee-earners 369
Above material supplied by Olswang.