History
Clifford Chance's origins date back to 1802 when Anthony Brown became the first lawyer in his family when he started a solo law practice in London. Since then the firm has changed its name several times but it has always remained an integral part of the City of London. One of Clifford Chance's predecessor firms established an office in New York in 1986. The merger of London-based law firms Clifford Turner and Coward Chance in 1987 led to the formation of Clifford Chance. Neither Clifford Turner or Coward Chance were first-rank London law firms, but their merger has since been said to have changed the shape and profile of law firms in London and globally. Over the next decade the firm expanded its practices across Europe and Asia and more than doubled in size. In 1992 Clifford Chance became the first major non-US firm to practise US law.
In 1999 Clifford Chance merged with Frankfurt-based law firm Pünder, Volhard, Weber & Axster and with the 1871-established US-based firm Rogers & Wells (the use of the Pünder, Volhard, Weber & Axster and Rogers & Wells branding for their respective European and United States regional offices was discontinued in 2003). In 2002, Clifford Chance launched in California, setting up a branch with nearly 50 attorneys from the disbanding dot-com firm Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison in Los Angeles, Palo Alto, San Diego and San Francisco. With California's downturn, the firm closed its Pacific Coast operations in 2007.
Because of falling revenues during the recent global recession, Clifford Chance reduced the number of partners by around 15%.
The firm in recent years has moved back office tasks to its 350-employee Global Shared Service Centre, including a 60-employee Knowledge Centre in New Delhi, India as an efficiency measure.
In May 2011, Clifford Chance opened offices in Australia by merging with two M&A boutique law firms, Sydney-based Chang, Pistilli & Simmons and Perth-based Cochrane Lishman Carson Luscombe. In February 2012, Clifford Chance opened a new office in Casablanca, giving the firm's Africa practice its first permanent on the ground presence in the continent. In July 2012, Clifford Chance became the first UK firm to receive permission from South Korea’s Ministry of Justice to open an office in the country.
In November 2011 it was identified as the largest supplier to the City of London Corporation having received over £9m in fees between January and September of that year.
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