White & Case

White & Case is one of the world’s leading global law firms and it’s fair to say the firm has come a long way since its New York founding in 1901.

Among the earliest American firms to venture beyond the borders of the US, White & Case opened its Paris office (1926), with subsequent forays into Brussels (1967) and Hong Kong (1978).

Fast forward to today, and White & Case boasts an impressive 2,600 lawyers across 46 offices in 31 countries.

White & Case’s London office has played a key role in the firm’s meteoric rise. Established in 1971, it marked one of the earliest attempts by a US firm to crack the UK legal market. Now, the office is one of the biggest outposts of any US firm in London, housing 150 partners and over 400 lawyers

Growth in London has been fuelled by a mix of strategic promotions and high-profile lateral hires. A strategy that is certainly paying off.  

White & Case’s UK-derived revenue for 2023 came in at $444 million, outperforming long-established City firms like Macfarlanes and Simmons & Simmons.

Although this figure was a slight dip from the $451 million recorded in 2022, the firm’s global performance remains strong. Total revenue reached $2.95 billion in 2023, marking a 13% year-on-year increase. Profit per equity partner (PEP), meanwhile, climbed to $3.1 million, up 4% from 2022.

Despite being a truly global player with big reach beyond New York and London, White & Case’s claim to cherished ‘global elite’ status is still up for debate. While it has the scale and footprint of the likes of Baker McKenzie and Hogan Lovells, it is considered to trail the likes of Kirkland & Ellis, Skadden and Latham & Watkins in terms of prestige and profitability.

White & Case is a heavy-hitter in areas like project finance, international arbitration, capital markets, and M&A.

Other things to know

First Female Chair: In September 2023, White & Case introduced a new global management team, with Heather McDevitt elected as Chair. She was the first woman to have been appointed to the position in White & Case’s almost 125-year history.

Solicitor Apprentices: White & Case is known for being a champion of the solicitor apprentice route in the UK for aspiring lawyers. The firm welcomed its first cohort of solicitor apprentices in 2024, offering them a market-leading salary of £32,000.

What is White & Case known for?

White & Case is a full service global corporate law firm. In particular, it’s known for its expertise in the following practice areas:

Capital Markets: White & Case is a leader in DCM, ECM and high-yield transactions, with a strong focus on cross-border work. The firm is ranked Band 1 by Chambers for both debt and equity capital markets work.

Arbitration: White & Case has a well-established international arbitration group with particular expertise in large-scale infrastructure and construction disputes. The firm is ranked Band 2 by Chambers for international commercial arbitration.

Infrastructure: White & Case is a go-to adviser on M&A mandates involving infrastructure assets. The team is particularly active on transport, telecoms and renewable energy transactions. The firm’s infrastructure practice is ranked Band 1 by Chambers.

Project Finance: The firm has a leading project finance practice, across a range of sectors advising borrowers and lenders. Its project finance practice has a Band 1 ranking by Chambers.

What's 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.

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Who does White & Case compete with?

White & Case is a global player considered to sit just below the tier of 'global elite' firms dominated by some of its bigger US rivals. Within the UK legal market, the firm competes with the likes of Herbert Smith Freehills, Hogan Lovells and Ashurst.

In 2023, White & Case's global revenue was $2.95 billion.

In 2024, its profit per equity partner (PEP) was $3,100,000.

How much does a partner at White & Case make?

For 2023, White & Case’s average profit per equity partner (PEP) was $3,100,000.

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.

How many trainees does White & Case take?

White & Case takes on 50 trainees each year in the UK.

Trainees rotate through four six-month seats: one overseas, one in finance and one in a contentious practice area.