- Chair of the Firm: Keith C Wetmore
- Managing Partners for Operations: Harold J McElhinny, Pamela J Reed
- Number of partners worldwide: 366
- Number of US partners: : 297
- Number of other lawyers worldwide: 747
- Number of other US lawyers: 583
Firm Overview:
Morrison & Foerster is a global firm with over 1,000 lawyers across 15 offices in the US, Europe and Asia. Founded in 1883, the firm remains dedicated to providing their clients, which include some of the largest financial institutions, Fortune 100 companies, and technology and life science companies, with legendary service. Clients rely on the firm for innovative and business-minded solutions. Morrison & Foerster’s attorneys share high standards, a commitment to excellence and a passion for helping their clients succeed. The firm’s commitment to serving client needs has resulted in enduring relationships and a record of high achievement. They also are among the leaders in the profession for their long-standing commitment to pro bono work.
Main Areas of Practice:
Antitrust; bankruptcy and restructuring; capital markets; communications and media; corporate; employment; energy; entertainment; environmental; financial services; financial transactions; government contracts; intellectual property; investment management; land use and natural resources; life sciences; litigation; privacy; project finance and development; real estate; tax and technology transactions.
Corporate:
The Corporate Practice represents some of the most dynamic public and private companies in the world and advises on venture financing, public and private offerings, strategic alliances, joint ventures and mergers and acquisitions. The firm is ranked as a global leader in M&A in an array of transactions, including cross-border transactions. The firm represents acquirors, bankers and target companies, and advises on a comprehensive range of offensive and defensive techniques, and on the transactional and antitrust aspects of M&A transactions worldwide. The firm is also counsel to over 100 public companies. Through its active issuer representation, the firm has a thorough understanding of accounting, disclosure and compliance matters.
Capital Markets:
The Capital Markets Practice is a pioneer in developing synthetic products, hybrid securities, structured products and derivatives. Annually, the firm ranks as one of the leading firms for issuer and underwriter representations for initial public offerings, international offerings, REIT offerings, offerings of hybrid and preferred securities and debt offerings. The firm advises in connection with private placements, PIPEs, IPOs, 144A and Reg S offerings, and continuous issuance programs, including MTN and CP programs. The depth of Morrison & Foerster’s practice makes it a frequent choice as counsel to underwriters and placement agents in connection with financing transactions.
Financial Services:
The firm has one of the finest Financial Services Regulatory Practices, bringing to bear decades of banking experience and an exceptional breadth and depth of financial services regulatory expertise. The firm represents domestic and foreign banks, credit card and other payment systems companies, savings associations, industrial loan companies, and other financial service organisations.
Finance & Infrastructure:
The firm has a broad-based Financial Transactions Practice, providing a wide range of services to lenders, as well as borrowers, with leading experts in finance, investment management, debt trading and infrastructure finance, as well as bankruptcy and restructuring. The firm is experienced at handling and structuring virtually every type of real and personal property secured and unsecured financing transaction.
Intellectual Property:
Morrison & Foerster has one of the largest intellectual property practices in the world, with over 300 lawyers providing a full range of services, including counseling, prosecution, litigation, dispute resolution and licensing transactions in patent, trademark, and copyright matters. The firm’s practice regularly ranks as one of the top IP practices in the US.
Litigation:
The firm's more than 500 litigators are renowned for their ability to succeed in high-stakes, complex cases. These lawyers include some of the top trial and appellate lawyers in the US, as well as leading practitioners in the areas of securities, antitrust, white-collar criminal defense, products liability, class action defense, unfair competition, employment, financial services, intellectual property, trade secret and patent. In Japan, Morrison & Foerster is the only international law firm with a full-service litigation capacity.
Real Estate:
The firm’s real estate, real estate finance, land use and natural resources attorneys advise major domestic and international real estate lenders, investors, developers, private equity and pension funds and REITs in connection with real estate financing, acquisition, entitlement and development, investment, ownership, leasing, construction, management, and restructuring. The firm works regularly with a variety of real estate product types, including office, commercial, industrial, multi-family, hospitality, and specialised uses, such as energy.
Tax:
The firm’s Tax Practice is comprised of a US Federal Tax Group and an International Tax Group that provides state of the art tax advice on an array of capital markets transactions, including hybrid securities, derivatives and debt and equity offerings, mergers and acquisitions, private equity and real estate transactions; the country’s leading State and Local Tax Practice; and a highly skilled Employee Benefits, Executive Compensation and Trusts and Estates Group.
Technology Transactions:
Specialised skills are needed to negotiate a transaction involving the development, purchase, sale, licensing or outsourcing of technology. Morrison & Foerster is one of the few firms in the world that brings this expertise to bear for clients. The firm regularly works with clients in diverse industries, including hardware, software, semiconductor, biotechnology, healthcare and financial services.
International Offices
The firm has offices in Beijing, Brussels, Hong Kong, London, Shanghai and Tokyo.
The firm also has offices in Denver, Los Angeles, Northern Virginia, Palo Alto, Sacramento and San Diego