Simmons & Simmons
A guide to the law firm Simmons & Simmons: what it’s best known for, recent work highlights, what it pays, and its revenue and profitability.
Last updated:
January 14, 2025
A guide to the law firm Simmons & Simmons: what it’s best known for, recent work highlights, what it pays, and its revenue and profitability.
Simmons & Simmons is an international law firm based in London.
Regarded as a traditional City law firm with a strong focus on advising financial institutions, Simmons is best known for its expertise in banking and finance, capital markets, financial regulation, and IP and technology.
The firm was established in London in 1896 by twin brothers Percy and Edward Simmons when they were newly qualified and just 21 years old.
From modest beginnings, the firm began to expand internationally as early as 1962 when it opened its first overseas office in Brussels (in fact, it was the first City firm to open in Brussels).
More international expansion followed. In 1979, Simmons opened its first Asia office in Hong Kong, and in 1988 it set up a base in Paris.
Over the next 20 years the firm continued to open offices overseas, and today Simmons has more than 20 offices in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and one in the US. In 2022, it opened its first US office in San Francisco to support its growing list of technology firm clients.
Simmons also has several UK offices outside of its London HQ. In 2012, it opened a Bristol office, while its Cambridge office hosts a team of legal engineers under its ‘Simmons Wavelength’ brand, a legal tech consultancy for clients.
Today, Simmons has over 1,000 lawyers, including 300+ partners.
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Recent work and industry highlights for Simmons & Simmons include:
Victory for BT in £1.3bn Landmark Class Action: In December 2024, Simmons & Simmons won a major victory for BT, successfully defending the telecoms giant against a £1.3bn consumer class action claim over alleged unfair pricing. The case was significant as the first class action to reach trial since the ‘opt-out’ collective action regime was introduced under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. That allowed US-style class actions for competition law claims to be brought in the UK for the first time.
£4.25bn Sale of Chelsea FC: In 2022, Simmons advised Chelsea FC on its £4.25bn sale to a consortium led by Todd Boehly and private equity firm Clearlake Capital. Simmons was named M&A team of the year at The British Legal Awards 2022 for its work on the deal.
Honeywell’s $4.95bn Acquisition of Global Access Solutions: In December 2023, Simmons advised Honeywell on the non-US aspects of its $4.95bn acquisition of Global Access Solutions.
Saudi Arabia Office Controversy: In January 2024, Simmons & Simmons announced it was joining other City firms and opening an office in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The firm was forced to defend itself from accusations its plans “undermine its stated commitment to LGBT rights”.
Simmons is a Stonewall Top Global Employer for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Staff reportedly accused the firm of prioritising its commercial interests over its commitment to LGBT+ values.
Record-breaking Pay for Bristol NQs: In January 2025, Simmons shook up the Bristol legal market by raising the salaries of its NQs in the city by 25%, bringing them to £96,000 - a new record for Bristol. It puts Simmons well ahead of Bristol-based rivals Osborne Clarke and Burges Salmon which both pay £72,000.
Simmons & Simmons is a full service corporate law firm, advising clients including financial institutions, companies and governments. It’s particularly known for its strengths in the following areas:
Banking and Finance: Simmons & Simmons has a leading banking and finance practice acting for both lenders and borrowers on domestic and cross-border transactions. Simmons advises clients that include traditional bank lenders as well as corporate borrowers and funds. The firm is ranked in Band 1 by Chambers for its advice to both borrowers and lenders on lower mid-market deals.
Capital Markets: Simmons & Simmons is strong across the full spectrum of capital markets work, including equity and debt raisings, derivatives and structured products, and securitisation. Simmons is particularly known for its advice to buy-side clients, including asset managers and hedge funds. It has a Band 2 ranking by Chambers for its derivatives work.
Financial Regulation: Simmons & Simmons handles a range of both contentious and non-contentious regulatory work. The firm advises clients including asset managers, hedge funds, investment banks and insurance companies, among others. Simmons is ranked in Band 1 by Chambers for its contentious regulatory work, and Band 2 for non-contentious regulatory work.
We use Chambers rankings to demonstrate a firm's strengths. Chambers is the most highly-regarded provider of law firm rankings in the legal industry. Law firms are ranked in bands from 1 (highest) to 6 (lowest) across a range of practice areas.
It's important to note that being ranked in any band at all is still considered a significant achievement.
Simmons competes with the tier of leading international firms outside of the Magic Circle, including the likes of Ashurst, Pinsent Masons and Eversheds Sutherland.
Here’s what Simmons & Simmons pays its London trainees and newly qualified (NQ) lawyers:
Trainee First Year: £52,000
Trainee Second Year: £57,000
Newly Qualified (NQ): £120,000
We have a list of salaries paid by all of the UK’s top law firms here.
Simmons & Simmons is the 16th biggest law firm in the UK by revenue. In 2023, its revenue was £521 million.
In 2023, its profit per equity partner (PEP) was £1 million.
In 2023, Simmons & Simmons’ average profit per equity partner (PEP) was £1 million.
This is the total amount of profit available for distribution among equity partners, divided by the number of equity partners at the firm.
This represents the average amount that equity partners are entitled to. Some will receive significantly more, some less. It depends on the firm’s profit-sharing formula and each partner’s seniority.
Simmons & Simmons takes around 20 trainees each year in London and seven trainees in Bristol.
Trainees complete four seats in different departments, each lasting six months.
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