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Key practice areas
Banking
Project finance
Capital markets : Debt
Capital markets : Equity
Capital markets : Structured finance and securitisation
Financial and corporate
Financial services regulatory
Private equity
Restructuring
M&A
Project development
Banking and finance
Firm overview

Clifford Chance is a powerhouse across the financial and corporate sphere with highly rated partners and a deep bench in almost all areas. One of the world’s pre-eminent law firms, the firm has a significant depth and range of resources across five continents. 

Rankings published in 2026
Banking and finance
Tier 1
35 firms ranked
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Tier 1

Clifford Chance
12 practice areas
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Freshfields
13 practice areas
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Hengeler Mueller
12 practice areas
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Latham & Watkins
11 practice areas
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Milbank
11 practice areas
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Tier 2

A&O Shearman
14 practice areas
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Linklaters
13 practice areas
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Tier 3

Ashurst Perkins Coie
9 practice areas
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Gleiss Lutz
13 practice areas
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Noerr
10 practice areas
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White & Case
13 practice areas
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Tier 4

CMS Hasche Sigle
10 practice areas
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Goodwin Procter
4 practice areas
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Kirkland & Ellis
11 practice areas
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Norton Rose Fulbright
7 practice areas
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Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom
13 practice areas
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Willkie Farr & Gallagher
9 practice areas
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Tier 5

Baker McKenzie
10 practice areas
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Bird & Bird
10 practice areas
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Gütt Olk Feldhaus
5 practice areas
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Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek
9 practice areas
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King & Spalding
6 practice areas
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Luther
4 practice areas
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Mayer Brown
10 practice areas
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McDermott Will & Schulte
12 practice areas
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Taylor Wessing
7 practice areas
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Weil Gotshal & Manges
9 practice areas
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Notable

Astera Legal
3 practice areas
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Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner
3 practice areas
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LARK
18 practice areas
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LSP | Lindemann Schwennicke & Partner
4 practice areas
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Schalast & Partner (Schalast Law | Tax)
5 practice areas
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Sidley Austin
7 practice areas
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Simmons & Simmons
5 practice areas
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Sullivan & Cromwell
6 practice areas
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Capital markets : Debt
Tier 2
20 firms ranked
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Tier 1

Freshfields
13 practice areas
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Hengeler Mueller
12 practice areas
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Linklaters
13 practice areas
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Tier 2

Clifford Chance
12 practice areas
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Latham & Watkins
11 practice areas
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White & Case
13 practice areas
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Tier 3

A&O Shearman
14 practice areas
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Gleiss Lutz
13 practice areas
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Hogan Lovells Cadwalader
11 practice areas
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Noerr
10 practice areas
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Sullivan & Cromwell
6 practice areas
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Tier 4

Ashurst Perkins Coie
9 practice areas
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Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek
9 practice areas
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Mayer Brown
10 practice areas
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Norton Rose Fulbright
7 practice areas
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Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom
13 practice areas
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Tier 5

Kirkland & Ellis
11 practice areas
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Milbank
11 practice areas
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Notable

McDermott Will & Schulte
12 practice areas
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Pinsent Masons
5 practice areas
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Capital markets : Equity
Tier 2
25 firms ranked
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Tier 1

Freshfields
13 practice areas
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Hengeler Mueller
12 practice areas
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Linklaters
13 practice areas
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Sullivan & Cromwell
6 practice areas
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Tier 2

Clifford Chance
12 practice areas
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White & Case
13 practice areas
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Tier 3

A&O Shearman
14 practice areas
View full profile
Gleiss Lutz
13 practice areas
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Hogan Lovells Cadwalader
11 practice areas
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Latham & Watkins
11 practice areas
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Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom
13 practice areas
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Tier 4

Ashurst Perkins Coie
9 practice areas
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CMS Hasche Sigle
10 practice areas
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Milbank
11 practice areas
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Noerr
10 practice areas
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Tier 5

Norton Rose Fulbright
7 practice areas
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Willkie Farr & Gallagher
9 practice areas
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Notable

Baker McKenzie
10 practice areas
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DLA Piper
5 practice areas
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Glade Michel Wirtz
4 practice areas
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Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek
9 practice areas
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Kirkland & Ellis
11 practice areas
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Paul Hastings
10 practice areas
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Pinsent Masons
5 practice areas
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Taylor Wessing
7 practice areas
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Capital markets : Structured finance and securitisation
Tier 1
14 firms ranked
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Tier 1

Clifford Chance
12 practice areas
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Hengeler Mueller
12 practice areas
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Linklaters
13 practice areas
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Tier 2

Freshfields
13 practice areas
View profile
Hogan Lovells Cadwalader
11 practice areas
View profile
White & Case
13 practice areas
View full profile

Tier 3

A&O Shearman
14 practice areas
View full profile
Ashurst Perkins Coie
9 practice areas
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Baker McKenzie
10 practice areas
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Dentons
12 practice areas
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Latham & Watkins
11 practice areas
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Notable

Gleiss Lutz
13 practice areas
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Mayer Brown
10 practice areas
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Noerr
10 practice areas
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Financial services regulatory
Tier 2
20 firms ranked
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Tier 1

Freshfields
13 practice areas
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Hengeler Mueller
12 practice areas
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Linklaters
13 practice areas
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Tier 2

Clifford Chance
12 practice areas
View full profile
Hogan Lovells Cadwalader
11 practice areas
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Latham & Watkins
11 practice areas
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White & Case
13 practice areas
View full profile

Tier 3

A&O Shearman
14 practice areas
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CMS Hasche Sigle
10 practice areas
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Gleiss Lutz
13 practice areas
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LSP | Lindemann Schwennicke & Partner
4 practice areas
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PwC Legal
1 practice area
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Notable

Annerton
1 practice area
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Bird & Bird
10 practice areas
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Gunnercooke
1 practice area
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Jones Day
5 practice areas
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Mayer Brown
10 practice areas
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McDermott Will & Schulte
12 practice areas
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Noerr
10 practice areas
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Schalast & Partner (Schalast Law | Tax)
5 practice areas
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M&A
Tier 2
56 firms ranked
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Tier 1

Freshfields
13 practice areas
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Hengeler Mueller
12 practice areas
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Linklaters
13 practice areas
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Tier 2

Clifford Chance
12 practice areas
View full profile
Gleiss Lutz
13 practice areas
View profile
Latham & Watkins
11 practice areas
View profile
Sullivan & Cromwell
6 practice areas
View profile

Tier 3

A&O Shearman
14 practice areas
View full profile
Kirkland & Ellis
11 practice areas
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Milbank
11 practice areas
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Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom
13 practice areas
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White & Case
13 practice areas
View full profile

Tier 4

Baker McKenzie
10 practice areas
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CMS Hasche Sigle
10 practice areas
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Hogan Lovells Cadwalader
11 practice areas
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McDermott Will & Schulte
12 practice areas
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Noerr
10 practice areas
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Weil Gotshal & Manges
9 practice areas
View profile

Tier 5

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton
10 practice areas
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DLA Piper
5 practice areas
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Dentons
12 practice areas
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Gibson Dunn & Crutcher
5 practice areas
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Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer
3 practice areas
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Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek
9 practice areas
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Jones Day
5 practice areas
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K&L Gates
2 practice areas
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Mayer Brown
10 practice areas
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Morgan Lewis & Bockius
1 practice area
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Morrison & Foerster
2 practice areas
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SZA Schilling Zutt & Anschütz
4 practice areas
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Willkie Farr & Gallagher
9 practice areas
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Tier 6

Ashurst Perkins Coie
9 practice areas
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Berner Fleck Wettich
2 practice areas
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Bird & Bird
10 practice areas
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Eversheds Sutherland
1 practice area
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GLNS
5 practice areas
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Glade Michel Wirtz
4 practice areas
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Gütt Olk Feldhaus
5 practice areas
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Kallan
2 practice areas
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King & Spalding
6 practice areas
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Oppenhoff & Partner
6 practice areas
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Paul Hastings
10 practice areas
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Pinsent Masons
5 practice areas
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Renzenbrink & Partner
2 practice areas
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Schalast & Partner (Schalast Law | Tax)
5 practice areas
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Notable

ADVANT Beiten
1 practice area
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Arqis
3 practice areas
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Dechert
3 practice areas
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Greenberg Traurig
3 practice areas
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LARK
18 practice areas
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Leo Schmidt-Hollburg Witte & Frank
2 practice areas
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Norton Rose Fulbright
7 practice areas
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Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe
1 practice area
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POELLATH
4 practice areas
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Taylor Wessing
7 practice areas
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YPOG
3 practice areas
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Private equity
Tier 1
36 firms ranked
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Tier 1

Clifford Chance
12 practice areas
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Freshfields
13 practice areas
View profile
Hengeler Mueller
12 practice areas
View profile
Kirkland & Ellis
11 practice areas
View profile
Latham & Watkins
11 practice areas
View profile
Milbank
11 practice areas
View profile

Tier 2

Gleiss Lutz
13 practice areas
View profile
Linklaters
13 practice areas
View profile
POELLATH
4 practice areas
View profile
Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom
13 practice areas
View full profile
Weil Gotshal & Manges
9 practice areas
View profile

Tier 3

A&O Shearman
14 practice areas
View full profile
CMS Hasche Sigle
10 practice areas
View profile
Gibson Dunn & Crutcher
5 practice areas
View profile
Hogan Lovells Cadwalader
11 practice areas
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White & Case
13 practice areas
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Willkie Farr & Gallagher
9 practice areas
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Tier 4

Ashurst Perkins Coie
9 practice areas
View profile
Goodwin Procter
4 practice areas
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Gütt Olk Feldhaus
5 practice areas
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LUPP + PARTNER
1 practice area
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McDermott Will & Schulte
12 practice areas
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Noerr
10 practice areas
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Paul Hastings
10 practice areas
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Renzenbrink & Partner
2 practice areas
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Sidley Austin
7 practice areas
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YPOG
3 practice areas
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Notable

Astera Legal
3 practice areas
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Bird & Bird
10 practice areas
View profile
DLA Piper
5 practice areas
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EY Law
4 practice areas
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GLNS
5 practice areas
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Greenberg Traurig
3 practice areas
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Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer
3 practice areas
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King & Spalding
6 practice areas
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Mayer Brown
10 practice areas
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Project development
Tier 1
13 firms ranked
View full list

Tier 1

Clifford Chance
12 practice areas
View full profile
Hogan Lovells Cadwalader
11 practice areas
View profile
White & Case
13 practice areas
View full profile

Tier 2

CMS Hasche Sigle
10 practice areas
View profile
Freshfields
13 practice areas
View profile
Norton Rose Fulbright
7 practice areas
View profile

Tier 3

A&O Shearman
14 practice areas
View full profile
Bird & Bird
10 practice areas
View profile
DLA Piper
5 practice areas
View profile
Dentons
12 practice areas
View profile
Gleiss Lutz
13 practice areas
View profile
Hengeler Mueller
12 practice areas
View profile
Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek
9 practice areas
View profile
Project finance
Tier 1
11 firms ranked
View full list

Tier 1

Clifford Chance
12 practice areas
View full profile
White & Case
13 practice areas
View full profile

Tier 2

Freshfields
13 practice areas
View profile
Hogan Lovells Cadwalader
11 practice areas
View profile
Norton Rose Fulbright
7 practice areas
View profile

Tier 3

A&O Shearman
14 practice areas
View full profile
CMS Hasche Sigle
10 practice areas
View profile
Gleiss Lutz
13 practice areas
View profile
Linklaters
13 practice areas
View profile
Watson Farley & Williams
5 practice areas
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Notable

Bird & Bird
10 practice areas
View profile
Restructuring
Tier 2
26 firms ranked
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Tier 1

Freshfields
13 practice areas
View profile
Kirkland & Ellis
11 practice areas
View profile

Tier 2

A&O Shearman
14 practice areas
View full profile
Clifford Chance
12 practice areas
View full profile
Dentons
12 practice areas
View profile
Gleiss Lutz
13 practice areas
View profile
Hengeler Mueller
12 practice areas
View profile
Linklaters
13 practice areas
View profile

Tier 3

CMS Hasche Sigle
10 practice areas
View profile
Görg
6 practice areas
View profile
Hogan Lovells Cadwalader
11 practice areas
View profile
Latham & Watkins
11 practice areas
View profile
Milbank
11 practice areas
View profile
Noerr
10 practice areas
View profile
White & Case
13 practice areas
View full profile
Willkie Farr & Gallagher
9 practice areas
View profile

Tier 4

Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek
9 practice areas
View profile
McDermott Will & Schulte
12 practice areas
View profile
Sidley Austin
7 practice areas
View profile
Weil Gotshal & Manges
9 practice areas
View profile
Wellensiek
3 practice areas
View profile

Notable

Ashurst Perkins Coie
9 practice areas
View profile
Glade Michel Wirtz
4 practice areas
View profile
Mayer Brown
10 practice areas
View profile
Schultze & Braun
3 practice areas
View profile
Taylor Wessing
7 practice areas
View profile
Linked Reviews
Financial and corporate

Magic Circle firmClifford Chanceis among the largest law firms in the world, with global operations in 23 countries. The firm’s presence in Germany can be traced back to the end of the 19thcentury. It has offices in Frankfurt, Düsseldorf and Munich. The firm has a formidable practice across all sectors. Its standout capital markets practice includes joint US-German qualified George Hacket and Axel Wittmann. In a recent highlight the team advised Industrie De Nora on the IPO of thyssenkrupp nucera. The corporate team includes rated practitioners such as Jörg Rhiel, Christoph Holstein, Thomas Krecek and Christian Vogel. The team advised Harbour Energy on its acquisition of assets from Wintershall Dea and Asterion Industrial Partners on the acquisition of STEAG.

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Deal Highlights
67 results67 results
Deal Name Deal Date Firm Name Jurisdiction Deal Type Lawyer Names Client Names Client Role
Fraport AG Frankfurt Airport Services Worldwide - Bond Issue
2021-03-01
Clifford Chance
Germany
Bond issue
BNP Paribas, Bayerische Landesbank, DZ Bank, Commerzbank, Landesbank Baden-Wuerttemberg - LBBW
Underwriter
Deutsche Bahn Finance GmbH - Bond Issue
2021-05-01
Clifford Chance
Germany
Bond issue
Crédit Agricole, Daiwa Securities Group, HSBC
Underwriter
Dekabank - Bond Issue
2021-04-01
Clifford Chance
Germany
Bond issue
Commerzbank, DekaBank, Groupe BPCE
Underwriter
HOCHTIEF AG - Bond Issue
2021-04-01
Clifford Chance
Germany
Bond issue
HSBC, Commerzbank, Mizuho Bank, Société Générale
Underwriter
Bayer AG - Bond Issue
2021-01-01
Clifford Chance
Germany
Bond issue
Crédit Agricole, Banco Santander, HSBC, Rabobank, Barclays, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, BBVA - Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, Standard Chartered Bank, Wells Fargo
Underwriter
Deutsche Bahn Finance GmbH - Bond Issue
2021-07-01
Clifford Chance
Germany
Bond issue
Deutsche Bank, SEB - Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB
Underwriter
Hannover Re - Bond Issue
2021-03-01
Clifford Chance
Germany
Bond issue
Barclays, Citigroup, Groupe BPCE, ABN AMRO Bank, HSBC
Underwriter
Aareal Bank AG - Bond Issue
2021-02-01
Clifford Chance
Germany
Bond issue
Citigroup, Bayerische Landesbank, Société Générale, Goldman Sachs, HSBC, DZ Bank, NORD/LB, BNP Paribas, Commerzbank, Landesbank Baden-Wuerttemberg - LBBW, UniCredit, DekaBank, Groupe BPCE, Deutsche Bank, Nomura
Underwriter
Aareal Bank AG - Bond Issue
2021-08-01
Clifford Chance
Germany
Bond issue
Citigroup, BNP Paribas, DZ Bank, DekaBank, Commerzbank
Underwriter
Amprion GmbH - Bond Issue
2021-09-01
Clifford Chance
Germany
Bond issue
SEB - Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB, ING Bank, Commerzbank, UniCredit
Underwriter
Aareal Bank AG - Bond Issue
2021-04-01
Clifford Chance
Germany
Bond issue
Nomura, Royal Bank of Scotland Group, HSBC, Deutsche Bank
Underwriter
DekaBank - Bond Issue
2021-09-01
Clifford Chance
Germany
Bond issue
DekaBank
Underwriter
Daimler AG - Bond Issue
2021-01-01
Clifford Chance
Germany
Bond issue
Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Toronto-Dominion Bank
Underwriter
Deutsche Bahn Finance GmbH - Bond Issue
2021-01-01
Clifford Chance
Germany
Bond issue
Barclays, BNP Paribas, Royal Bank of Canada
Underwriter
LEG Immobilien AG - Bond Issue
2021-09-01
Clifford Chance
Germany
Bond issue
UniCredit
Underwriter
Oldenburgische Landesbank AG - Bond Issue
2021-07-01
Clifford Chance
Germany
Bond issue
Oldenburgische Landesbank AG
Issuer
SPP-distribucia AS - Bond Issue
2021-06-01
Clifford Chance
Germany
Bond issue
SPP-distribucia AS
Issuer
ADLER Real Estate AG - Bond Issue
2021-04-01
Clifford Chance
Germany
Bond issue
Barclays, JP Morgan Chase, Deutsche Bank
Underwriter
Deutsche Bahn Finance GmbH - Bond Issue
2021-06-01
Clifford Chance
Germany
Bond issue
Royal Bank of Scotland Group, Mizuho Bank, DZ Bank, Société Générale
Underwriter
Deutsche Telekom AG - Bond Issue
2021-04-01
Clifford Chance
Germany
Bond issue
Barclays, DZ Bank, Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, BNP Paribas, Deutsche Bank, Morgan Stanley, Société Générale, Royal Bank of Scotland Group, UniCredit
Underwriter
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Corporate partner Aline Cardin and counsel Alexander Tollast discuss winning the instruction, road-testing the EU Pilot Regime and turning a first-of-its-kind transaction into know-how
Gibson Dunn has hired a seven-lawyer investment funds team from Clifford Chance in Paris, led by partner Xavier Comaills, as the firm continues its European expansion
Clifford Chance, Bowmans and Udo Udoma & Belo Osagie were among the top winning firms at the awards dinner held in Cape Town on March 17  
M&A
Corporate M&A and PE lawyer Alexandra Wilde has been appointed as managing partner to ‘lead the next phase of growth across the US region’
New hires were made across the PE, M&A, real estate, antitrust, finance and capital markets practices in the UK and the US
M&A
New hires were made across the corporate, PE, regulatory and finance practices in Abu Dhabi, Brussels, Sydney, Rome, London and the Cayman Islands
Lawyers at Clifford Chance and Skadden examine how the regulation has driven legal demand at their firms and transformed advisory strategies
A revamped rulebook has given a boost to London IPO activity that looks set to continue in the fourth quarter and into 2026, lawyers tell IFLR
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