Empire Builders - The American Lawyer

Empire Builders - The American Lawyer

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Since the early days of the Global 100 survey, globalization and profit have seemingly grown hand in hand. For our top 50 firms in 1999--the first year that we published profits per partner for what was then the Global 50--the proportion of lawyers employed outside each firm's home country doubled, while profits per partner more than doubled. But whether there is a causal relationship between global expansion and financial success is unclear, whether one charts the performance of individual firms in a single year or over time. Star performers may be found among the most stubborn homebodies, like Slaughter and May, and the most persistent imperialists, like Allen & Overy.

"There is a very distinct correlation between multijurisdictional work and profitability," says A&O senior partner David Morley. Slaughter practice partner Paul Olney counters that a strategy centered on one jurisdiction "can deliver equally effective international results," and, he need not add, superior financial results.

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