Macfarlanes
British law firm
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Macfarlanes LLP is a London-based law firm and a member of the UK's "Silver Circle" of elite law firms.[6]
 | |
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| No. of offices | Three (London, Brussels) and New York City) [1] |
| No. of lawyers | Approximately 600[2] |
| No. of employees | Approximately 940[2] |
| Major practice areas | General practice |
| Key people | Damien Crossley[3] (Senior Partner) Luke Powell[4] (Managing Partner) Katherine Milliken[4] (Chief Operating Officer) |
| Revenue | £389.5 million (2025/26)[5] |
| Profit per equity partner | £3.1 million (2025/26)[5] |
| Date founded | 1875 (London) |
| Company type | Limited liability partnership |
| Website | www.macfarlanes.com |
The firm is ranked as the UK's most profitable major law firm by profit margin and serves a global client base across Private Capital, M&A, Private Wealth, and Disputes.[7][8]
History
Macfarlanes was founded in the City of London in 1875 by George Watson Neish.[4] In 1894 Neish was joined in partnership by John Embleton Macfarlane and the firm moved to premises in Watling Street.[4] The firm's offices suffered bomb damage during the Second World War. In 1958, the firm moved to a new office, Dowgate Hill House. In 1962, the firm adopted its current name Macfarlanes, named after then-senior partner Craig Macfarlane.[4] The firm has grown organically over the years to its current size and has never merged.[4]
Vanni Treves was the firm's senior partner from 1987 to 1999.[9][10] Macfarlanes converted to a limited liability partnership in May 2008.[11]
In September 2010, Macfarlanes advised Four Seasons Health Care, the largest UK-based care home group, on the restructuring of its £1.6 billion debt facilities.[12] In October 2010 the firm announced that it would be introducing a new senior solicitor level from early 2011.[13] In July 2012 Macfarlanes advised Stanhope, backed by Mitsui Fudosan UK and the Alberta Investment Management Corporation, on its purchase of the BBC Television Centre.[14]
In January 2012, Macfarlanes was joined by a nine-strong team from the boutique specialist hedge fund law firm, D Harris & Co International Limited, to complement the firm's existing hedge funds practice.[15]
In September 2013, Macfarlanes advised Verizon Communications on its acquisition of Vodafone's 45 per cent interest in Verizon Wireless for $130 billion,[16] one of the biggest deals in corporate history.[17]
In July 2026, Macfarlanes advised Ares on the acquisition of French football club Olympique Lyonnais by US businesswoman Michele Kang, following the administration of its parent company, Eagle Football Holdings.[18]
Macfarlanes is among the firms operating a 'pass-first time' policy for training contract students sitting the SQE.[19]
Main practice areas
Macfarlanes' main practice areas are:[20]
- Antitrust/competition
- Commercial, brands, IP and IT
- Construction and engineering
- Corporate and M&A
- Derivatives and trading
- Employment
- Finance
- Financial services regulation
- Insurance
- Investment management
- Lawtech
- Litigation and dispute resolution
- Pensions and pensions de-risking
- Private capital solutions
- Private client
- Private equity
- Public policy
- Real estate
- Restructuring and insolvency
- Reward
- Tax
List of senior partners
- Herbert James (1984–1987)
- Vanni Treves (1987–1999)
- Robert Sutton (1999–2008)
- Charles Martin (2008–2020)
- Sebastian Prichard Jones (2020–2026)
- Damien Crossley (2026–present)
Notable alumni
Notable alumni of Macfarlanes include:
- David Gauke, Conservative MP and former Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
- Sir David Tang, noted socialite (joined as a trainee solicitor, but left before completing his training contract)