The Legal 500

Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge (EAPD) is an international law firm with over 500 lawyers. In addition to the convenience of having 11 offices in the US and UK, and an associated office in Hong Kong, EAPD has aligned its core areas of practice to meet clients’ legal and business objectives.

The firm: The firm offers a full array of legal services worldwide and creates value by providing superior legal advice to protect and advance its clients’ interests. EAPD believes that it can only succeed when its clients succeed. This culture of respect and professional excellence are key factors in how the firm responds to clients.

Types of work undertaken: Antitrust/competition: EAPD fields a transatlantic team of experienced antitrust and competition law practitioners. The firm advises on the full range of US antitrust law and EU and UK competition law, including antitrust/competition litigation, merger control, criminal and civil investigations, compliance and state aid.

Asset recovery (fraud): EAPD acts for governments seeking to trace and recover misappropriated public funds from dishonest public officials and their companies, trusts and associates, and advises on the related complex political, practical and legal issues. The firm assists governments to plan and implement effective international asset tracing and recovery programmes, enforce civil or criminal forfeiture/confiscation orders in the UK, and make requests for mutual legal assistance in criminal proceedings.

Business law: the firm’s corporate and finance lawyers handle billions of pounds-worth of private equity, venture capital and debt finance transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and public offerings for clients, with particular experience in life sciences and technology, telecoms, media and broadcasting, banking and financial services, and insurance and reinsurance.

Commercial litigation and arbitration: EAPD advises corporates, multinationals and government organisations on the full range of commercial disputes. The firm aims to resolve disputes in the manner best designed to achieve its clients’ business objectives and is committed to the use of ADR where appropriate. EAPD litigators are experienced in antitrust, asset tracing, IP, securities, employment, environment, construction and product liability.

Employment: EAPD provides practical, commercial advice on matters ranging from policy issues and outsourcing to disciplinary procedures and disputes in the Employment Tribunal or High Court.

Insurance and reinsurance: EAPD has one of the largest insurance and reinsurance departments in the world, with lawyers across the US, UK and Hong Kong. Clients include the world’s largest insurance and reinsurance companies, which the firm represents in corporate, transactional and regulatory matters, in (re)insurance arbitrations and litigation, and in sophisticated claims and coverage matters.

Intellectual property: the firm’s IP practice is one of its great strengths, acting for a wide range of companies in both soft and hard IP. The firm is consistently ranked among the leading firms for number of patents prosecuted to issuance each year and is recognised for achieving excellent results in patent litigation and interferences. Its lawyers and patent agents hold degrees in technology and scientific disciplines, many with PhD degrees in engineering, life sciences and chemistry. The firm’s trade mark and brand protection group advises some of the best-known brands in the world and has a formidable reputation for protecting and developing its clients’ brands.

International law: EAPD’s public international law team provides governments and other clients with advice, assistance and research on a range of subjects, including both land and maritime international boundary disputes between states, national boundaries between subdivisions of states, disputes in relation to oil and gas deposits at or straddling international boundaries and a wide range of related regulatory and compliance matters, particularly under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Product liability: EAPD brings together the expertise of litigators from the firm’s commercial litigation and insurance litigation teams, acting for manufacturers, suppliers, retailers, insurers and reinsurers in domestic and international matters relating to product liability.

Restructuring and insolvency: in the UK, EAPD is recognised as a leading firm, having been involved in many well-known insolvencies since the inception of the firm’s London office some 50 years ago. In addition, the firm’s strengths centre on large-scale insolvencies involving international aspects where asset tracing, freezing and repatriation form a major component, as well as exit solutions for insurance companies.

Number of UK partners 28
Number of other UK fee-earners 58