39 and counting
Our international network continues to expand to support our clients’ global interests.
The practice of commercial law is constantly evolving, especially for the largest firms advising the largest clients. Our focus is increasingly international and our revenue streams reflect this – 60% of our income now comes from outside the UK. Nearly 70% of the matters we take on involve offices in two or more countries and 25% involve five offices or more.
What this means for lawyers and trainees is that international exposure is now an everyday occurrence; something that you are expected to take in your stride. Transactions are increasingly cross-border, and it’s not possible to support our clients solely through London.
In response, we have built a global network of offices run by people who embody our international ethos. In the last 18 months, Allen & Overy has opened offices in Australia, Qatar, Belfast, Washington, D.C. and Morocco. We now have 39 offices around the world – a truly global presence – and we will not be stopping there.
Overseas travel is now regarded by our lawyers as an expectation as much as it is an opportunity. Our lawyers are increasingly spending time in other offices around our network, or on secondment to clients. Having an international mindset is no longer a useful quality – but an essential part of the job.
These extensions to our network, and the building up of our presence in established markets such as France, Germany and the U.S., are expressions of our confidence. We are investing during difficult times in anticipation of better times ahead, putting ourselves in a position to improve our service to clients when – and where – market conditions improve.
At the same time the role of a lawyer is continuously evolving. Today we are strategic advisers to an international client base and, increasingly, entrepreneurs for the firm, exploring opportunities with clients and prospective clients, developing and sharing ideas for their businesses and pitching Allen & Overy as the firm to help them realise their strategy.
This is a new dimension to the career of a lawyer at Allen & Overy, and one which, alongside our ambitious international plans, makes the role even more exciting and rewarding.
