Morrison & Foerster is a global firm with over 1000 lawyers in key financial and technology centers in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Our attorneys share high standards and a commitment to excellence. Our dedication to serving client needs has resulted in enduring relationships and a record of high achievement. We are leaders in each of the areas in which we practice, including litigation and arbitration, corporate and corporate governance, M&A, capital markets, bankruptcy, financial services, real estate, intellectual property and technology, including Life Sciences.
Recognition: The 2012 U.S. News-Best Lawyers survey, "Best Law Firms," ranked Morrison & Foerster in the top six, nationally, out of over 9,500 U.S. firms. In the same survey, the firm ranked as the best in California, and the Law Firm of the Year for Technology Law and Antitrust Litigation. The Legal 500 US ranks the firm as in the top five firms nationally in terms of both the number of practices and number of attorneys recommended. PLC Which lawyer? ranks the firm as one of the top 20 elite firms in the world based on independent research with in-house counsel. Ours is the only trial firm featured by National Law Journal in their “Winning” showcase the last four years in a row. Our corporate and capital markets practices are frequently cited and ranked among the "Best Practices" in their respective markets by the American Lawyer Corporate Scorecard, Mergerstat, Bloomberg, Thomson Financial League Tables and others. Our practitioners are recognized by their clients and peers in various reference guides including IFLR1000, PLC Cross-border Handbooks, Chambers Global and others. PLC Which lawyer? Yearbooks ranked our Intellectual Property practice the leader among law firms in the U.S. for Life Sciences. For 2012, 137 attorneys from around our domestic offices have been named to the Best Lawyers in America directory. We were named to the BTI Client Service All-Star 30 list three years in a row, based on interviews with hundreds of corporate counsel at Fortune 1000 companies to discover how they define exceptional service and which law firms epitomize this high standard.
Global Reach: In addition to our offices in the key financial and technology centers in the U.S., we enjoy unrivalled reach around the Pacific Rim with 200 lawyers in Asia. We are the largest U.S. law firm in Japan, with over 120 attorneys in Tokyo, including 50 bengoshi admitted to practice in Japan. Our China platform includes more than 80 U.S., PRC, English, and Hong Kong qualified professionals resident in well-established offices in Beijing, Hong Kong, and Shanghai. We have 60 lawyers qualified to practice in the UK, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Portugal, and Spain, offering expertise in all major disciplines.
Commitment: For the eighth year in a row, we are among the top firms in The American Lawyer’s "A-List" rankings of U.S. law firms, which measures, associate satisfaction, lawyer diversity, pro bono work, and financial performance. Our commitment to diversity is deep. Our firm has a long history of nurturing tolerance, inclusion, and mutual respect. We have had an active diversity program for more than fifteen years, focused on issues related to race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, identity, and expression. Morrison & Foerster consistently ranks at the top of surveys addressing workplace diversity and the hiring of minority lawyers and women.