Mayer Brown

History

The three firms that now form the core of Mayer Brown were all founded in the 19th century. The US portion of the firm was founded in 1881 in Chicago, by Adolf Kraus and Levy Mayer, and was shortly thereafter known as Kraus, Mayer & Brackett. After several changes in name to reflect its changing membership the firm eventually became known in the US as Mayer, Brown & Platt. The English portion of the firm, Rowe & Maw, was established in 1895 in London and operated under that name until joining with Mayer, Brown & Platt in 2002 to form Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw. In 2007 the amalgamated firm shortened its name to Mayer Brown. Johnson Stokes & Master was formed in 1863 in Hong Kong and is today known as Mayer Brown JSM after merging with Mayer Brown in 2008.

Offices

The firm has offices in Bangkok, Beijing, Brussels, Charlotte, Chicago, Düsseldorf, Dubai, Frankfurt, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Mexico City, New York, Palo Alto, Paris, Shanghai, Singapore and Washington DC; and, in association with Tauil & Chequer Advogados, offices in Brasília, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Vitória.

Banking & Finance

Advises bank holding companies, commercial banks, investment banks, insurance companies, asset-based lenders, leasing companies, institutional real estate companies, finance companies, funds and investors and borrowers in various industries.

Capital Markets

Represents both issuers and underwriters in a wide variety of debt and equity offerings as well as working at the forefront of the market for securitized products.

Corporate & Securities

Provides legal services on transactions including cross-border deals and industry-specific issues. Sub-practices include capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, private equity and business and technology sourcing.

Cybersecurity & Data Privacy

Advises on a full range of domestic, international and cross-border cybersecurity and privacy issues.

Employment & Benefits

Advises on issues of employment, employee benefits, executive compensation, ERISA litigation and pensions.

Financial Services Regulatory & Enforcement

Provides financial services organizations with representation on strategic, regulatory, compliance and enforcement issues. Advises on traditional banking, broker-dealer, investment management, cross-border investigation and enforcement and insurance regulation issues.

Global Mobility & Migration

Advises on the full gamut of global mobility issues that businesses face on a daily basis including visa and work permit authorizations.

Government (Relations and Contracts)

Represents clients in areas of domestic and global public policy and provides advice on the government contracting process at the federal, state and local levels.

International Trade

Advises on international trade and investment issues, including market access and trade policy, trade remedies, trade compliance, international litigation and dispute settlement, ITC Section 337 investigations and the WTO.

Intellectual Property

Assesses IP portfolios; performs due diligence for acquisitions; secures patents, trademarks, trade secrets and copyrights; and uses litigation to resolve business disputes over infringement or misappropriation.

Joint Ventures & Strategic Alliances

Helps clients create a wide variety of durable and effective joint venture and alliance structures both within a particular jurisdiction and across borders.

Litigation & Dispute Resolution

Provides legal services on matters of antitrust and competition, commercial litigation, consumer litigation and class actions, electronic discovery and records management, employment and ERISA, environmental, international arbitration, product liability and mass torts, securities enforcement and litigation and white-collar defense and compliance. In the US, argues before the Supreme Court and federal and state appellate courts.

National Security

Advises clients on a wide spectrum of matters that involve sensitive national security issues with experience working with the Department of Defense (DOD), as well as the Departments of State, the Treasury, Justice (DOJ), and Homeland Security (DHS); with federal law enforcement, intelligence, and military agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and National Security Agency (NSA); and with the increasing number of government entities that play a growing role in US national security today on issues ranging from energy to technology to trade.

Private Equity, Funds & Investment Management

Provides a full-service offering to clients engaged in the funds and alternative investments industry. The practice spans the entire life cycle of a fund, its sponsor/manager as well as all underlying investments.

Real Estate

Provides representation in acquisition, disposition, construction, leasing, financing, zoning and environmental matters for commercial banks, real estate investment trusts, institutional investors, pension funds and pension fund advisers, private equity funds and sponsors, opportunity funds, governments, statutory bodies, investment banks, industrial banks, insurance companies, real estate holding companies, developers and corporations.

Restructuring, Bankruptcy & Insolvency

Advises on restructuring, bankruptcy and insolvency matters, representing liquidators, receivers, administrators, bondholders, lenders, liquidity providers, trustees, debtor-in-possession providers, company directors, insurers, pension fund trustees and corporate debtors and creditors.

Tax (Tax Controversy, Tax Transactions & Consulting)

Provides representation in matters of corporate, partnership and individual taxation, including taxation of cross-border transactions. Includes sub-practices in transactions, consulting and planning, audits, administrative appeals, litigation and international transfer pricing.

Technology Transactions

Offers in-depth understanding of technology transactions to secure high-value contracts, improve operations, build digital platforms and ensure compliance.

Wealth Management

Advises high-net-worth individuals on matters related to their business and investment interests, including minimizing taxes and accommodating family situations.

Pro Bono

Mayer Brown is a signatory to the Pro Bono Institute’s Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge which commits the firm to devote 3 percent of total billable time to pro bono work and a member of the UK Joint Protocol on Pro Bono Work, which stipulates that pro bono legal work must be carried out to the same standard as chargeable work.

Recognition

Role in Refco Inc. Collapse

Refco was a New York-based broker of commodities and futures contracts. It filed for one of the biggest bankruptcies in the USA history in 2005, after the evidence for major accounting fraud surfaced. In the wake of collapse, lawsuit was filed against Mayer Brown for aiding Refco executives' theft of more than $2 billion. In November 2012 Joseph Collins, a former partner at the Mayer Brown, was found guilty on multiple charges of conspiracy and fraud for his role in preparing Refco's IPO. The law company itself agreed to pay an undisclosed sum to settle the legal claims against it.