The Legal 500

Morrison & Foerster is a global firm with over 1,000 lawyers and 15 offices in the US, Europe and Asia. Founded in 1883, the firm remains dedicated to providing its clients, which include some of the largest financial institutions, Fortune 100 companies, and technology and life science companies, with legendary service. Clients rely on the firm for innovative and business-minded solutions. Its attorneys share high standards, a commitment to excellence and a passion for helping their clients succeed. This commitment to serving client needs has resulted in enduring relationships and a record of high achievement. The firm is also a market leader in respect of its longstanding commitment to pro bono work.

Main Areas of Practice

Corporate: the corporate practice represents some of the most dynamic public and private companies in the world, and advises on venture financing, public and private offerings, strategic alliances, joint ventures, and mergers and acquisitions. The firm is ranked as a global leader in M&A in an array of transactions, including cross-border transactions. The firm represents acquirors, bankers and target companies, and advises on a comprehensive range of offensive and defensive techniques.

Capital markets: Morrison & Foerster’s capital markets practice is a pioneer in developing synthetic products, hybrid securities, structured notes and derivatives. Annually, the firm ranks as one of the leading firms for issuer and underwriter representations for initial public offerings, international offerings, REIT offerings, offerings of hybrid and preferred securities, and debt offerings.

Financial services: the firm has one of the finest financial services regulatory practices in the US, bringing to bear decades of banking experience and an exceptional breadth and depth of financial services regulatory expertise. The firm represents a wide range of financial service organizations.

Intellectual property: the firm has one of the largest IP practices in the world, with over 300 lawyers providing a full range of services, including counseling, prosecution, litigation, dispute resolution and licensing transactions in patent, trademark and copyright matters, ranking as one of the country’s top IP practices.

Litigation: the firm’s more than 500 litigators are renowned for their ability to succeed in high-stakes, complex cases. These lawyers include some of the top trial and appellate lawyers in the US, as well as leading practitioners in the areas of securities, antitrust, white-collar criminal defense, products liability, class action defense, unfair competition, employment, financial services, intellectual property, trade secret, and patent litigation.

Real estate: Morrison & Foerster’s real estate, real estate finance, land use and natural resources attorneys advise major domestic and international real estate lenders, investors, developers, private equity and pension funds, and REITS in connection with real estate financing, acquisition, entitlement and development, investment, ownership, leasing, construction, management and restructuring.

Tax: the firm’s tax practice is comprised of a US federal and international tax group that provides quality tax advice on an array of capital markets transactions, including hybrid securities, derivatives and debt and equity offerings, M&A, private equity and real estate. It has a highly skilled employee benefits and compensation group. The firm is acknowledged as a leader in state and local tax planning and litigation.

Technology transactions: specialized skills are needed to negotiate a transaction involving the development, purchase, sale, licensing or outsourcing of technology. Morrison & Foerster is one of the few firms in the world that brings this expertise to bear for clients in diverse industries.

Chair Keith C Wetmore

Managing Partners
Harold J McElhinny
Pamela J Reed

Other Offices:
Beijing
Brussels
Denver
Hong Kong
London
Los Angeles
Northern Virginia
Palo Alto
Sacramento
San Diego
Shanghai
Tokyo

Number of Partners: 366
Number of Other Fee-earners: 747
Total Staff: 1,198