Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP: Law Firm Profile, Careers, Offices, and Hiring

Last Updated: October 2026

 

Freshfields is one of the world's oldest and most internationally established law firms. Historically known as Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP and operating in the United States through Freshfields US LLP, the firm combines a nearly three-century history with a rapidly expanding U.S. practice.

Today, Freshfields has more than 2,800 lawyers and approximately 5,700 people working across 33 offices worldwide. Its U.S. platform includes more than 500 lawyers across six offices and focuses heavily on sophisticated corporate transactions, litigation, regulatory matters, antitrust, investigations, international arbitration, private capital, finance, and other complex cross-border work.

For law students and attorneys considering a career at an international law firm, Freshfields offers an unusual combination: the resources and cross-border reach of a major global firm together with a U.S. operation that has continued to expand in important legal markets.

Readers comparing Freshfields with other major firms can also explore the Top Law Firms directory on Top-Law-Schools.com.

 

Freshfields at a Glance

 

Category Freshfields
Founded 1743
Global Lawyers 2,800+
Global Workforce Approximately 5,700
Global Offices 33
U.S. Lawyers 500+
U.S. Offices Boston, New York, Raleigh, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, and Washington, D.C.
Major U.S. Practices Corporate/M&A, antitrust, litigation, international arbitration, investigations, finance, restructuring, capital markets, private capital, tax, and regulatory work
U.S. Summer Program 10 weeks
2027 Vault Law 100 Ranking No. 50
2027 Vault International Practice Ranking No. 2

 

Freshfields' global reach is particularly relevant for attorneys interested in transactions or disputes involving multiple jurisdictions. Attorneys contemplating an internationally focused career may also find LawCrossing's guide to finding an international law job as an American attorney useful.

 

History of Freshfields

 

Freshfields traces its origins to 1743, making it one of the world's oldest continuously operating major law firms. Its early history was closely connected to the Bank of England, and the Freshfield name became associated with the firm during the nineteenth century.

The modern organization took shape in 2000, when Freshfields combined with the German firms Deringer Tessin Herrmann & Sedemund and Bruckhaus Westrick Heller Löber. The combination helped create a deeply integrated European and international legal platform capable of serving multinational companies, financial institutions, investors, and governments across major commercial markets.

Freshfields had already established a U.S. presence before that combination. It opened in New York in 1977 and Washington, D.C., in 1998. Since then, the firm's American platform has grown substantially, particularly through expansion in corporate transactions, technology, life sciences, private capital, antitrust, litigation, investigations, and regulatory work.

The result is a firm whose historical roots remain European but whose U.S. operation increasingly competes directly with leading American firms for both clients and legal talent.

 

Freshfields' Global and U.S. Presence

 

Freshfields reports more than 2,800 lawyers worldwide and offices across Europe, the Americas, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East. Its international structure is particularly valuable for matters involving several countries, regulatory regimes, or financial markets.

The firm's current U.S. offices are:

  • Boston
  • New York
  • Raleigh
  • San Francisco
  • Silicon Valley
  • Washington, D.C.

 

Freshfields reports more than 500 lawyers and 900 people across its six U.S. offices.

 

New York

 

New York is the center of many of Freshfields' U.S. transactional and disputes practices. The firm's current New York capabilities include M&A, capital markets, investigations, securities and shareholder litigation, commercial litigation, international arbitration, finance, restructuring and insolvency, intellectual property transactions, executive compensation and benefits, tax, and private capital.

Its New York office is located at 3 World Trade Center.

 

Washington, D.C.

 

The Washington office is particularly important to Freshfields' antitrust, competition, regulatory, international trade, investigations, and disputes capabilities. Its location and practice mix make it especially relevant to attorneys interested in matters involving U.S. government agencies and complex regulatory questions.

 

San Francisco and Silicon Valley

 

Freshfields' California expansion has strengthened the firm's ability to advise technology, life sciences, venture-backed, public-company, and private-capital clients.

The firm's presence in both San Francisco and Silicon Valley also gives attorneys access to work that may combine technology-sector transactions with antitrust, capital markets, intellectual property, securities litigation, and regulatory issues.

 

Boston

 

Freshfields' Boston presence further expands the firm's U.S. corporate and life sciences platform and is also one of the locations participating in its summer associate program.

 

Raleigh

 

Raleigh is Freshfields' sixth U.S. office. While it is part of the firm's broader U.S. footprint, it is not currently listed among the locations hosting the firm's U.S. summer associate program.

 

Major Practice Areas at Freshfields

 

Freshfields has a broad international practice, but several areas are especially important for students and attorneys evaluating its U.S. platform.

 

Corporate, Mergers and Acquisitions

 

Corporate and M&A work remains one of Freshfields' most significant practices. The firm advises public companies, private capital investors, financial institutions, and other sophisticated clients on complex domestic and cross-border transactions.

Its international network can be particularly valuable in transactions requiring lawyers to coordinate regulatory, corporate, financing, tax, and competition-law issues across multiple jurisdictions.

 

Antitrust, Competition, and Trade

 

Freshfields has a prominent U.S. antitrust practice, particularly in Washington, D.C. Lawyers may work on merger reviews, investigations, litigation, cartel matters, and other competition-law issues.

The practice can appeal to attorneys interested in the intersection of litigation, regulation, economics, and major corporate transactions.

 

International Arbitration and Complex Disputes

 

International arbitration has long been an important Freshfields practice. The firm's global footprint allows teams to handle commercial and investment disputes involving multiple jurisdictions, governments, corporations, and complex international agreements.

Chambers USA 2026 places Freshfields in Band 1 for nationwide international arbitration.

Law students interested in this area can also explore the TLS Discussion of Practice Areas forum, which includes discussions about international arbitration and other major legal specialties.

 

Litigation

 

Freshfields' U.S. disputes practice encompasses commercial litigation, securities and shareholder litigation, investigations, white-collar matters, and other complex disputes.

This can provide associates with exposure to matters involving public companies, financial institutions, boards of directors, regulators, and disputes with significant commercial or reputational consequences.

 

White-Collar Defense and Investigations

 

Freshfields advises companies and individuals facing government investigations, enforcement actions, internal investigations, and other high-stakes regulatory matters.

The practice often overlaps with securities enforcement, corporate governance, international regulatory issues, sanctions, and compliance.

 

Private Capital

 

Private capital has become increasingly significant within Freshfields' U.S. growth strategy. The firm's work can include private equity transactions, investments, fund formation, portfolio-company matters, financing, restructuring, and related regulatory work.

 

Capital Markets and Finance

 

Freshfields advises issuers, financial institutions, investors, and other market participants on sophisticated capital markets and financing transactions.

Its cross-border capabilities may be especially valuable where transactions involve securities laws or financing requirements in several jurisdictions.

 

Restructuring and Insolvency

 

The firm's restructuring practice handles distressed transactions, reorganizations, financing arrangements, and other matters involving financially challenged companies and their stakeholders.

Chambers USA 2026 recognizes the firm's New York bankruptcy and restructuring practice in Band 1 in its "Highly Regarded" category.

 

Technology, Life Sciences, and Emerging Areas

 

Freshfields' expansion in California and Boston has increased its exposure to technology and life sciences clients. Its practices can intersect with M&A, capital markets, intellectual property, privacy and data security, artificial intelligence, antitrust, and regulatory matters.

Chambers USA 2026 also recognizes Freshfields nationally in areas including artificial intelligence, privacy and data security, life sciences, corporate governance, international trade, and financial-services regulation.

 

Freshfields Rankings and Reputation

 

The firm's current rankings demonstrate how much its U.S. platform has evolved since the original version of this profile was published in 2011.

In the 2027 Vault rankings, Freshfields US LLP is:

  • No. 50 in the Vault Law 100
  • No. 2 for International Practice
  • No. 18 for Antitrust
  • No. 25 for Project Finance

 

Vault also ranks Freshfields among firms in New York and in several workplace and summer-program categories.

Chambers USA 2026 recognizes Freshfields across numerous national and regional practice categories, with particularly strong recognition in international arbitration, M&A, antitrust, corporate governance, securities litigation, investigations, restructuring, international trade, and related areas.

For candidates, rankings should not be the sole basis for choosing a law firm. Practice strength, office needs, mentorship, training, work allocation, location, and long-term career goals can be equally important.

 

Freshfields Law Student Recruiting

 

Freshfields recruits law students for its U.S. summer associate program and emphasizes candidates who can succeed in an international, collaborative, and entrepreneurial environment.

The firm describes the qualities it values in law students as including ambition, collaboration, initiative, and an interest in making an impact early in their careers.

Academic performance remains important at firms competing for sophisticated BigLaw work, but candidates should also be prepared to explain:

  • Why Freshfields specifically interests them;
  • Why they want to work in the office to which they are applying;
  • Which practice areas interest them;
  • How previous academic or professional experiences relate to those interests;
  • Why an international or cross-border platform is valuable to their career;
  • How they have demonstrated collaboration, initiative, judgment, and intellectual curiosity.

 

Students considering Freshfields or comparable firms may find LawCrossing's guide to getting a BigLaw summer associate job helpful when preparing for recruiting.

 

Freshfields Summer Associate Program

 

Freshfields currently operates a 10-week U.S. summer associate program.

The program is offered in:

  • Boston
  • New York
  • Washington, D.C.
  • San Francisco
  • Silicon Valley

 

Summer associates can work on client matters while receiving mentoring, training, feedback, and exposure to the firm's lawyers and practices. Pro bono assignments are also available.

In Boston, New York, San Francisco, and Silicon Valley, summer associates can generally explore different types of work rather than following a rigid rotation system. Assignments are matched with interests, availability, and practice needs.

Washington, D.C., summer associates work with either the firm's Dispute Resolution team or its Antitrust, Competition, and Trade practice.

Freshfields' materials for its 2027 2L summer program listed annualized compensation of $225,000, paid on a prorated basis for the summer. Because law-firm compensation can change between recruiting cycles, applicants should verify current compensation when applying.

The application portal for the 2027 summer program is now closed, and Freshfields says information concerning its 2028 program will follow.

 

Freshfields Interview Process

 

Freshfields currently says it prefers candidates to interview in person when practical, although virtual interviews may be available when scheduling or logistical circumstances make an in-person meeting difficult.

For callbacks, the firm states that candidates generally meet with three partners and then have a meal with associates. Freshfields also asks about practice-area interests so that candidates can meet lawyers whose work relates to those interests when possible.

Candidates should treat interviews as an opportunity to demonstrate not merely that they want BigLaw employment but that they understand Freshfields' particular platform.

Useful preparation includes researching the office, relevant practice groups, recent developments affecting those practices, and the reasons Freshfields' international structure fits the candidate's goals.

 

Lateral and Experienced Attorney Hiring

 

Freshfields also actively recruits experienced lawyers.

The firm's U.S. careers materials describe an entrepreneurial, fast-paced, and ambitious environment in which cross-border and multi-office teams are common. It identifies corporate and finance transactions, antitrust and competition, tax, white-collar matters, complex litigation, and international arbitration among its principal U.S. areas of focus.

For lateral attorneys, joining a firm such as Freshfields may be especially attractive when existing experience can transfer directly into one of the firm's growing practices.

Relevant considerations include:

  1. Whether the target office has a genuine need for the attorney's specialty;
  2. Whether the attorney's experience is sophisticated enough for the firm's client base;
  3. Whether the move strengthens the attorney's long-term specialization;
  4. Whether cross-border opportunities are important to the attorney;
  5. Whether the platform provides stronger clients, training, responsibility, or advancement opportunities.

 

Attorneys contemplating a move can review LawCrossing's complete guide to lateral moves between practices and markets and its 2026 strategic guide to lateral attorney moves.

 

Compensation and Benefits

 

Freshfields states that compensation for experienced U.S. lawyers is competitive with the top of the legal market. The firm also offers financial, health, lifestyle, professional-development, and other benefits.

Because associate salaries, bonuses, and benefits can change from year to year, applicants should rely on current recruiting materials and individual offer documentation rather than historical compensation figures.

This is particularly important for Freshfields because the original TLS profile listed a $160,000 first-year associate salary that reflected the BigLaw market of more than a decade ago and is no longer useful to current candidates.

 

Training, Mentorship, and Career Development

 

Freshfields emphasizes mentoring and professional development for both law students and experienced attorneys.

Summer associates receive partner and associate mentors as well as guidance on work assignments. Experienced lawyers are offered professional-development pathways intended to help identify skills, opportunities, and longer-term career objectives.

The firm's international structure can also provide a different form of professional development: lawyers may find themselves working regularly with teams in other offices, coordinating advice across jurisdictions, and learning how legal and commercial issues differ among markets.

For attorneys who ultimately want careers involving multinational companies, cross-border transactions, international investigations, arbitration, or overseas practice, that exposure can be valuable.

 

Pro Bono and Community Impact

 

Pro bono work is another component of the firm's U.S. career offering.

Freshfields currently reports more than 90 pro bono hours per U.S. lawyer, while its global organization reported approximately 85,000 pro bono hours during FY 2023/24.

Students evaluating firms may want to ask not only how many pro bono opportunities are technically available but also how matters are staffed, whether junior attorneys can assume meaningful responsibility, and how pro bono time is treated within performance and billable-hour systems.

 

Culture and Working at Freshfields

 

Freshfields describes its U.S. culture as entrepreneurial, collaborative, international, fast-paced, and ambitious.

That characterization reflects an important part of the firm's current U.S. identity. Freshfields is an established global institution, but its American platform has been in a significant period of growth. That can create opportunities for attorneys who want to participate in expanding practices rather than entering an office whose structure has remained unchanged for decades.

At the same time, candidates should recognize the demands associated with sophisticated international legal work. Cross-border transactions, investigations, litigation, and arbitration may involve demanding clients, tight deadlines, multiple jurisdictions, and teams operating across time zones.

Culture may also differ substantially by office, department, partner, and individual team. Candidates should therefore use interviews and summer programs to assess the people with whom they are most likely to work rather than relying exclusively on firm-wide descriptions.

 

Is Freshfields a Good Fit for Law Students and Attorneys?

 

Freshfields may be especially attractive to law students and attorneys who want:

  • Sophisticated BigLaw work;
  • Significant international or cross-border exposure;
  • A rapidly expanding U.S. platform;
  • Corporate, M&A, antitrust, arbitration, litigation, investigations, or private-capital experience;
  • Opportunities to collaborate with lawyers across international offices;
  • A large-firm platform with strong global institutional resources;
  • Exposure to multinational businesses, financial institutions, investors, and complex regulatory matters.

 

Candidates whose interests are primarily local or who strongly prefer matters that rarely involve international teams may find other firms more closely aligned with their objectives.

Similarly, students should avoid choosing Freshfields—or any other major firm—solely because of prestige rankings. Practice fit, office fit, mentorship, workload expectations, training, and the kinds of matters available to junior associates are more important to long-term career satisfaction.

The Top-Law-Schools.com law student resource center and TLS legal job board provide additional resources for students comparing career options.

 

Frequently Asked Questions About Freshfields


Is Freshfields a Magic Circle Law Firm?

 

Yes. Freshfields is traditionally regarded as one of London's Magic Circle firms, a group historically associated with leading U.K.-headquartered international law firms.

Its current identity, however, is increasingly global rather than exclusively British, with a substantial and growing presence in the United States and other major legal markets.

 

What Is Freshfields Best Known For?

 

Freshfields is particularly known for complex cross-border legal work. Major strengths include corporate and M&A, international arbitration, antitrust, investigations, litigation, private capital, capital markets, finance, restructuring, international trade, and related regulatory matters.

 

How Large Is Freshfields?

 

Freshfields reports more than 2,800 lawyers and approximately 5,700 people across 33 offices worldwide.

 

How Many U.S. Offices Does Freshfields Have?

 

Freshfields currently has six U.S. offices: Boston, New York, Raleigh, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, and Washington, D.C.

 

Does Freshfields Have a Summer Associate Program?

 

Yes. Freshfields operates a 10-week U.S. summer associate program for law students.

 

Which Freshfields Offices Have Summer Associates?

 

The current U.S. program is offered in Boston, New York, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, and Silicon Valley.

 

Does Freshfields Hire Lateral Attorneys?

 

Yes. Freshfields maintains an experienced-lawyer recruiting program and hires across its U.S. practices according to business and staffing needs.

 

Is Freshfields Strong in International Law?

 

International and cross-border work is one of the firm's defining strengths. The 2027 Vault rankings place Freshfields No. 2 among the Best Law Firms for International Practice.

 

Related Career Resources

 


Related Top-Law-Schools.com Forum Discussions

 

The following TLS forum discussions provide additional perspectives from law students, associates, and other forum participants. Forum posts represent individual opinions and experiences rather than verified statements by the firm.

 

Disclaimer: Law-firm recruiting programs, compensation, office structures, rankings, and hiring needs change frequently. Applicants should confirm current information directly with Freshfields before making application or career decisions.

 

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