The history of Linklaters really started to get exciting in the 1970s. This was when we began to develop a network of international offices on the back of the markets' use of English law and the English language on international financings. It was a gentle start: we had maybe two or three partners in each of the major financial centres. Through the 1980s there was a greater demand for a multi-jurisdictional capability and gradually we began to develop practices around the world.
The 1990s was probably the most decisive decade in our history to date. As deregulation opened up the market and technology increased the speed and reach of transactions, so globalisation began to take hold. More and more clients were becoming more and more international. This was the time for us to decide whether we were to remain a UK-focused law firm or a global firm aligned around the world's major companies and financial institutions. In 1996 we took the decision to go global.
At first we created an alliance with other leading firms and became Linklaters & Alliance. In time, however, it became clear that there was an ever-greater opportunity for a single, globally integrated firm. In the 18 months from 2001 we tripled in size through a number of mergers around the world.
We knew our time would come – and it has. We’ve emerged as a world-leading global law firm, and since 2004, our development has accelerated further still. Much of this success has been built on the vision and infrastructure that we had set out in the preceding years. But, as ever with Linklaters, this is not the end, only the beginning. Markets will change – and more quickly than ever. We need to continue to grow our presence in the US, Asia and other emerging markets. We’ve made great inroads already, having merged with Mitsui Yasuda Wani & Maeda, becoming the first fully-integrated law firm in Japan. However, we never lose sight of what our clients are looking for; or what our people expect from us.