Willkie Farr & Gallagher
Encyclopedia
Founded in 1888, Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP is an international law firm
with eight offices in six countries (including offices in New York, Washington, D.C., London, Paris, Rome, Milan, Frankfurt and Brussels). The firm has cultivated a strong corporate practice focused on investment funds, bankruptcy and intellectual property. The firm has approximately 600 lawyers and staff attorneys. Major clients include financial news company Bloomberg L.P.
. Former New York Governor Mario Cuomo
has been of counsel
with Willkie Farr since leaving office in 1995.
and James Byrne. Hornblower was a prominent ally of President Grover Cleveland
and rose to serve as President of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York
as well as sit as a judge on the New York Court of Appeals
. Early clients included
the New York Life Insurance Company, the New York Securities and Trust Company (later the New York Trust Company), the Rome, Watertown Ogdensburg and Parsons Railroad, Grant & Ward, a brokerage firm partnership between Ex-President Ulysses S. Grant
and Ferdinand Ward, the Otis Elevator Company, the United States Ship Building Company and Thomas A. Edison.
It was only in 1940 that the firm then known as Miller, Boston & Owen extended an offer to Wendell Willkie
, who had recently lost a bid to become President of the United States to Franklin D. Roosevelt
. Willkie became a partner in 1941; the firm's name was changed a year later to Willkie, Owen, Otis, Farr & Gallagher. Willkie later became F.D.R.'s personal envoy to many countries promoting the Lend-Lease
program. He later wrote a book about his travels entitled One World, a plea for global cooperation and peacekeeping. Major clients included insurance companies such as Metropolitan Life Insurance Company
, New York Life, Equitable, Aetna
, Connecticut General, John Hancock
, and Prudential
, for which the firm represented for a number of industry private placements.
In 1968, the firm adopted its current name, Willkie Farr & Gallagher. Throughout the 1960s, Willkie was occupied with railroad reorganizations, setting the stage for the firm's emergence as a bankruptcy powerhouse.
The firm was long known for its representation of Major League Baseball
; former Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn
, who held that office from 1969-1984, was a former Willkie Farr partner. The firm represented Baseball in the famous Curt Flood
free agency/antitrust case in the United States Supreme Court in 1970, and against Pete Rose
in the highly-publicized gambling case of the late 1980s.
When Shearson Lehman, one of Willkie's biggest clients accounting for one-third of billings, was sold to the Traveler's Companies in 1993, Willkie suffered a precipitous drop in business. It was forced to lay off 20 associates and retrench. It then adopted a policy that no client would account for more than five percent of its business.
Today, the firm is known for its representation of sophisticated corporate and commercial clients in a variety of large and high-profile matters. In recent years, the firm's white collar compliance and enforcement practice has emerged as one of the most prominent in the country. Perhaps its best known practice group is its investment funds practice, which provides legal representation to a variety of registered, mutual and hedge funds. Willkie is recognized as being in 'Band 1' (the top ranking) on the national scale for its work for investment funds according to Chambers & Partners, the British legal publication. In 2007, Willkie announced an alliance with Dickson Minto
, a highly regarded boutique law firm with offices in London and Edinburgh that specializes in private equity
, M&A and capital markets, in addition to being full-service in Scotland. It is envisioned that the two firms will work together to provide US and UK law advice in a variety of corporate transactions.
The top represented law schools at Willkie Farr include New York University School of Law
(the school representing the highest number of firm partners), Harvard Law School
, Yale Law School
, University of Pennsylvania Law School
, Columbia Law School
, Georgetown University Law Center
and University of Virginia Law School.
Law firm
A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise clients about their legal rights and responsibilities, and to represent clients in civil or criminal cases, business transactions, and other...
with eight offices in six countries (including offices in New York, Washington, D.C., London, Paris, Rome, Milan, Frankfurt and Brussels). The firm has cultivated a strong corporate practice focused on investment funds, bankruptcy and intellectual property. The firm has approximately 600 lawyers and staff attorneys. Major clients include financial news company Bloomberg L.P.
Bloomberg L.P.
Bloomberg L.P. is an American privately held financial software, media, and data company. Bloomberg makes up one third of the $16 billion global financial data market with estimated revenue of $6.9 billion. Bloomberg L.P...
. Former New York Governor Mario Cuomo
Mario Cuomo
Mario Matthew Cuomo served as the 52nd Governor of New York from 1983 to 1994, and is the father of Andrew Cuomo, the current governor of New York.-Early life:...
has been of counsel
Of counsel
Of counsel is often the title of an attorney who is employed by a law firm or an organization, but is not an associate or a partner. Some firms use titles like "counsel," "special counsel," and "senior counsel" for the same concept...
with Willkie Farr since leaving office in 1995.
History
The firm's predecessor firm, a Wall Street stalwart, was called Hornblower & Byrne. It was founded by William B. HornblowerWilliam B. Hornblower
William Butler Hornblower was a New York jurist who was unsuccessfully nominated to the United States Supreme Court by President Grover Cleveland in 1893.-Early life and education:...
and James Byrne. Hornblower was a prominent ally of President Grover Cleveland
Grover Cleveland
Stephen Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms and therefore is the only individual to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents...
and rose to serve as President of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York
Association of the Bar of the City of New York
The New York City Bar Association , founded in 1870, is a voluntary association of lawyers and law students. Since 1896, the organization, formally known as the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, has been headquartered in a landmark building on 44th Street, between Fifth and Sixth...
as well as sit as a judge on the New York Court of Appeals
New York Court of Appeals
The New York Court of Appeals is the highest court in the U.S. state of New York. The Court of Appeals consists of seven judges: the Chief Judge and six associate judges who are appointed by the Governor to 14-year terms...
. Early clients included
the New York Life Insurance Company, the New York Securities and Trust Company (later the New York Trust Company), the Rome, Watertown Ogdensburg and Parsons Railroad, Grant & Ward, a brokerage firm partnership between Ex-President Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
and Ferdinand Ward, the Otis Elevator Company, the United States Ship Building Company and Thomas A. Edison.
It was only in 1940 that the firm then known as Miller, Boston & Owen extended an offer to Wendell Willkie
Wendell Willkie
Wendell Lewis Willkie was a corporate lawyer in the United States and a dark horse who became the Republican Party nominee for the president in 1940. A member of the liberal wing of the GOP, he crusaded against those domestic policies of the New Deal that he thought were inefficient and...
, who had recently lost a bid to become President of the United States to Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
. Willkie became a partner in 1941; the firm's name was changed a year later to Willkie, Owen, Otis, Farr & Gallagher. Willkie later became F.D.R.'s personal envoy to many countries promoting the Lend-Lease
Lend-Lease
Lend-Lease was the program under which the United States of America supplied the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, China, Free France, and other Allied nations with materiel between 1941 and 1945. It was signed into law on March 11, 1941, a year and a half after the outbreak of war in Europe in...
program. He later wrote a book about his travels entitled One World, a plea for global cooperation and peacekeeping. Major clients included insurance companies such as Metropolitan Life Insurance Company
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company
MetLife, Inc. is the holding corporation for the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, or MetLife, for short, and its affiliates. MetLife is among the largest global providers of insurance, annuities, and employee benefit programs, with 90 million customers in over 60 countries...
, New York Life, Equitable, Aetna
Aetna
Aetna, Inc. is an American health insurance company, providing a range of traditional and consumer directed health care insurance products and related services, including medical, pharmaceutical, dental, behavioral health, group life, long-term care, and disability plans, and medical management...
, Connecticut General, John Hancock
John Hancock
John Hancock was a merchant, statesman, and prominent Patriot of the American Revolution. He served as president of the Second Continental Congress and was the first and third Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts...
, and Prudential
Prudential Financial
The Prudential Insurance Company of America , also known as Prudential Financial, Inc., is a Fortune Global 500 and Fortune 500 company whose subsidiaries provide insurance, investment management, and other financial products and services to both retail and institutional customers throughout the...
, for which the firm represented for a number of industry private placements.
In 1968, the firm adopted its current name, Willkie Farr & Gallagher. Throughout the 1960s, Willkie was occupied with railroad reorganizations, setting the stage for the firm's emergence as a bankruptcy powerhouse.
The firm was long known for its representation of Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
; former Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn
Bowie Kuhn
Bowie Kent Kuhn was an American lawyer and sports administrator who served as the fifth Commissioner of Major League Baseball from February 4, , to September 30,...
, who held that office from 1969-1984, was a former Willkie Farr partner. The firm represented Baseball in the famous Curt Flood
Curt Flood
Curtis Charles Flood was a Major League Baseball player who spent most of his career as a center fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals. A defensive standout, he led the National League in putouts four times and in fielding percentage twice, winning Gold Glove Awards in his last seven full seasons...
free agency/antitrust case in the United States Supreme Court in 1970, and against Pete Rose
Pete Rose
Peter Edward Rose , nicknamed "Charlie Hustle", is a former Major League Baseball player and manager. Rose played from 1963 to 1986, and managed from 1984 to 1989....
in the highly-publicized gambling case of the late 1980s.
When Shearson Lehman, one of Willkie's biggest clients accounting for one-third of billings, was sold to the Traveler's Companies in 1993, Willkie suffered a precipitous drop in business. It was forced to lay off 20 associates and retrench. It then adopted a policy that no client would account for more than five percent of its business.
Today, the firm is known for its representation of sophisticated corporate and commercial clients in a variety of large and high-profile matters. In recent years, the firm's white collar compliance and enforcement practice has emerged as one of the most prominent in the country. Perhaps its best known practice group is its investment funds practice, which provides legal representation to a variety of registered, mutual and hedge funds. Willkie is recognized as being in 'Band 1' (the top ranking) on the national scale for its work for investment funds according to Chambers & Partners, the British legal publication. In 2007, Willkie announced an alliance with Dickson Minto
Dickson Minto
Dickson Minto is a leading Scottish law firm.According to The Lawyer, Dickson Minto is the 76th largest firm in the United Kingdom.Dickson Minto established a formal alliance with New York-based international law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher which is well known for its investment fund, bankruptcy,...
, a highly regarded boutique law firm with offices in London and Edinburgh that specializes in private equity
Private equity
Private equity, in finance, is an asset class consisting of equity securities in operating companies that are not publicly traded on a stock exchange....
, M&A and capital markets, in addition to being full-service in Scotland. It is envisioned that the two firms will work together to provide US and UK law advice in a variety of corporate transactions.
The top represented law schools at Willkie Farr include New York University School of Law
New York University School of Law
The New York University School of Law is the law school of New York University. Established in 1835, the school offers the J.D., LL.M., and J.S.D. degrees in law, and is located in Greenwich Village, in the New York City borough of Manhattan....
(the school representing the highest number of firm partners), Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
, Yale Law School
Yale Law School
Yale Law School, or YLS, is the law school of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Established in 1824, it offers the J.D., LL.M., J.S.D. and M.S.L. degrees in law. It also hosts visiting scholars, visiting researchers and a number of legal research centers...
, University of Pennsylvania Law School
University of Pennsylvania Law School
The University of Pennsylvania Law School, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the law school of the University of Pennsylvania. A member of the Ivy League, it is among the oldest and most selective law schools in the nation. It is currently ranked 7th overall by U.S. News & World Report,...
, Columbia Law School
Columbia Law School
Columbia Law School, founded in 1858, is one of the oldest and most prestigious law schools in the United States. A member of the Ivy League, Columbia Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Columbia University in New York City. It offers the J.D., LL.M., and J.S.D. degrees in...
, Georgetown University Law Center
Georgetown University Law Center
Georgetown University Law Center is the law school of Georgetown University, located in Washington, D.C.. Established in 1870, the Law Center offers J.D., LL.M., and S.J.D. degrees in law...
and University of Virginia Law School.
Notable Mandates
- Represented Zurich Financial ServicesZurich Financial ServicesZurich Financial Services AG is a major financial services group based in Zurich, Switzerland.-History:The Company was founded in 1872 as subsidiary of the Schweiz Marine Insurance Company under the name Versicherung Verein...
as issuer in a CHF3.7 billion rights offering in 2002. - Acted for Electricité de FranceÉlectricité de FranceÉlectricité de France S.A. is the second largest French utility company. Headquartered in Paris, France, with €65.2 billion in revenues in 2010, EDF operates a diverse portfolio of 120,000+ megawatts of generation capacity in Europe, Latin America, Asia, the Middle East and Africa.EDF is one of...
through its Paris and Milan offices in its €1.15 billion sale of a put option to FiatFiatFIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli...
in 2002. - Counseled SprintSprint NextelSprint Nextel Corporation is an American telecommunications company based in Overland Park, Kansas. The company owns and operates Sprint, the third largest wireless telecommunications network in the United States, with 53.4 million customers, behind Verizon Wireless and AT&T Mobility...
in its $35 billion merger with Nextel in 2004. - Advised Adelphia Communications Corporation in its $17.6 billion sale to Time WarnerTime WarnerTime Warner is one of the world's largest media companies, headquartered in the Time Warner Center in New York City. Formerly two separate companies, Warner Communications, Inc...
in 2005. - Represented the consortium of banks in their €71.1 billion takeover offer for the Dutch bank ABN AMROABN AMROABN AMRO Bank N.V. is a Dutch state-owned bank with headquarters in Amsterdam. It was re-established, in its current form, in 2009 following the acquisition and break up of ABN AMRO Group by a banking consortium consisting of Royal Bank of Scotland Group, Santander and Fortis...
in 2007.
Associate Deferrals & Layoffs
In April 2010, Willkie Farr announced that it would be deferring the start date of its incoming class of new associates from Fall 2010 to January 2011. According to tipsters to AbovetheLaw.com, the firm had repeatedly assured associates that they would start on time, with such assurances coming as late as January or February of 2010.Offices (with year of establishment)
New York City (1888)
Paris (1971)- Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
(1981) 
London (1988)
MilanMilanMilan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
(2000)- Rome (2000)
Frankfurt am Main (2000)
BrusselsBrusselsBrussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
(2002)
Practice areas
Willkie Farr's significant practice areas include:- Antitrust
- Business Reorganization and Restructuring
- Corporate and Financial Services
- Environmental
- Executive Compensation and Employee Benefits
- Government Relations
- Intellectual Property
- Litigation
- Private Clients Group
- Real Estate
- Tax
- Telecommunications
- White Collar Investigations & Compliance