A guide to the law firm Squire Patton Boggs: what it’s best known for, recent work highlights, what it pays, and its revenue and profitability.
Squire Patton Boggs is a large transatlantic law firm, with over 1,500 lawyers spread across more than 40 offices in 20 countries.
The firm took its current form in 2014, when US player Squire Sanders (itself the result of a 2011 merger with international UK firm Hammonds) merged with Washington lobbying giant Patton Boggs. Its roots stretch back to 1886 in the UK, and it has been in expansion mode ever since.
London is at the heart of the firm’s global operations.
Established in 1991, SPB’s City office has grown into a major player, offering a full-service practice across corporate/M&A, finance and litigation, with noted expertise in specialist areas like media, sports and international trade. The team includes UK and US-qualified lawyers, offering seamless cross-border work for international clients.
The firm made a bold statement in 2023 by moving into a state-of-the-art office at 60 London Wall. The modern space reflects its ambition, with open-plan working and high-end client facilities.
Growth is a clear priority in the London office. SPB has been on a hiring spree, poaching talent from the likes of Stephenson Harwood, Goodwin and Eversheds Sutherland. Headcount is expanding, mirroring a wider trend of US firms boosting their UK presence.
SPB’s London office is well-regarded in the market - if not “top of the market”. It has a solid reputation for mid-market banking and finance work, employment, pensions and real estate. It also has regional UK offices in Leeds, Birmingham and Manchester which are highly-regarded, particularly in business immigration, media and retail.
The firm has also focused on expanding its European footprint. After office openings in Amsterdam, Dublin and - most recently Geneva - SPB is strengthening its presence across the continent.
The firm is trending upwards financially. Global revenue hit $1.24 billion in 2023, a 7% rise, with profit per equity partner now standing at over $2 million.
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Recent deal and industry highlights for Squire Patton Boggs in London include:
Refinancing for New Look: Squire Patton Boggs' London banking team advised UK fashion retailer New Look on a £100 million refinancing provided by Wells Fargo and Blazehill Capital in October 2023. The move was designed to support New Look through a tough trading enviroment for fashion retailers.
Acquisition of Jellyfish by The Brandtech Group: The firm advised US tech company The Brandtech Group on its acquisition of digital marketing company Jellyfish in 2023. The deal created “the world's No1 digital-only marketing group”.
Accounting Business Sale to Cooper Parry: Squire Patton Boggs advised accounting business Haines Watts on its acquisition by accounting group Cooper Parry in 2024. The deal expanded Cooper Parry’s footprint with 11 new offices and was part of a wider acquisition spree by the group.
Six Seat Rotation: Unusually for City law firms, Squire Patton Boggs offers a six-seat rotation during its training contract, with one likely to be an international or client secondment. Client secondments span FTSE 100 companies, retailers, and even client Chelsea FC.
Famous Partners: Former World Rugby referee Wayne Barnes is a partner in SPB’s London office. Barnes was a criminal barrister before pursuing his highly successful rugby career, which included taking charge of the 2023 Rugby World Cup final.
Squire Patton Boggs is a full service corporate law firm. In the London market, it is probably best known for its expertise in the following areas:
Banking and Finance: SPB has a highly-regarded banking practice, noted mainly for its work on mid-market deals. It advises both borrowers and lenders, with both practices earning a Band 2 ranking by Chambers.
Corporate/M&A: SPB’s M&A practice has a solid reputation, with particular expertise on mid-market deals. Its M&A practice has a Band 4 ranking by Chambers. The firm is also noted for private equity work, winning a Band 4 Chambers’ ranking for mid-market deals.
Pensions: SPB is well known for its pensions expertise, with expertise on both contentious and non-contentious matters. Both practices get a Band 3 ranking by Chambers.
Commodities and Trade Finance: SPB is a leading adviser on commodities and international trade work (despite only launching the practice in 2019). Both its commodities and trade finance practices have Band 3 rankings by Chambers.
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.
In the London market generally, Squire Patton Boggs competes with other leading international mid-market firms like Eversheds Sutherland, Stephenson Harwood and Osborne Clarke.
Here’s what Squire Patton Boggs pays its trainees and newly qualified (NQ) lawyers in London:
Trainee First Year: £47,000
Trainee Second Year: £50,000
Newly Qualified (NQ): £110,000
We have a list of salaries paid by all of the UK’s top law firms here.
In 2023, Squire Patton Boggs’ global revenue was $1.24 billion, according to ALM / Law.com.
In 2023, Squire Patton Boggs’ profit per equity partner (PEP) was $2.04 million, according to ALM / Law.com.
In 2023, Squire Patton Boggs’ profit per equity partner (PEP) was $2.04 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.
Squire Patton Boggs typically takes around 25 trainees per year in the UK, across its offices in Birmingham, Leeds, London and Manchester.
Trainees complete six seats in different departments, each lasting four months.
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