Berwin Leighton Paisner
| Company type | Law firm |
|---|---|
| Industry | Legal services |
| Predecessor | Paisner & Co, Leighton & Co, Berwin & Co |
| Founded | 1932 (as Paisner & Co) |
| Defunct | 2018 |
| Fate | Merged with Bryan Cave to form Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP |
| Headquarters | London , United Kingdom |
Area served | Global (Asia, Europe, Russia, Middle East) |
Key people | Neville Eisenberg (Managing Partner until 2015), Lisa Mayhew (Managing Partner from 2015) |
| Products | Legal services in real estate, finance, litigation, corporate risk, private wealth management, taxation |
Number of employees | ~1,000 (2001) |
Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) was a global legal practice operating 14 offices across 10 nations. The firm concentrated on areas such as real estate, finance, litigation and corporate risk, private wealth management, and taxation. In 2018, BLP combined with Bryan Cave to form Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP, under the leadership of Lisa Mayhew and Therese Pritchard.
History
BLP's foundation stems from the merger of three early 20th-century law firms:
- Paisner & Co (established 1932), offering broad legal counsel.
- Leighton & Co (founded 1942), specialising in litigation and property development.
- Berwin & Co (launched 1963), focusing on corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, and tax law.
In 1970, Berwin & Co joined forces with Leighton & Co to create Berwin Leighton, relocating their base to Adelaide House in London.
On 1 May 2001, the merger of Berwin Leighton with Paisner & Co resulted in Berwin Leighton Paisner, integrating nearly 1,000 employees and 122 partners, while retaining its headquarters at Adelaide House.
Neville Eisenberg held the managing partner role from 1999 until May 2015, when Lisa Mayhew took over the position.
In 2007, BLP introduced Lawyers On Demand, a flexible legal resourcing service initiated by partner Simon Harper along with Head of Recruitment Jonathan Brenner.
By 2009, BLP had formed Goltsblat BLP in Moscow through a joint venture with a local firm—distinctive among international law firms in Russia—with a team comprising 70 attorneys.
The firm’s strategic expansion reached a milestone in 2018 when it merged with Bryan Cave, a St. Louis-based firm, creating a worldwide legal entity that enhanced BLP’s market presence and service offerings.
Offices
BLP’s main office was situated in London, supported by a network of 14 branches across Asia, Europe, Russia, and the Middle East, demonstrating its deliberate global footprint in major commercial hubs.