Baker & McKenzie is looking to hire more attorneys in the US
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For many BigLaw firms, international growth is a priority. Baker & McKenzie has long been at the forefront of that trend. Already known for its global operations, it is also looking to grow in the United States.
“North America is key for us, and we have a North American growth plan,” Chairman Eduardo Leite tells Crain’s Chicago Business (sub. req.). Of the top 10 highest-grossing American firms, it has the lowest percentage of its lawyers located in the United States, Crain’s reports. Only 15 percent of Baker & McKenzie attorneys are currently based in this country.
With 248 of its 758 American lawyers working out of the firm’s founding Chicago office, Baker & McKenzie is looking for more attorneys outside of Illinois. At just under 100 attorneys, the New York office is “not yet as strong as we should be,” Leite says, and he also says the firm wants more attorneys in northern California and Texas.
Although its recent U.S. growth has been through lateral hiring, Rick Hammett, the firm’s North American managing partner, says it would “absolutely” pursue a merger if the right opportunity comes along.
