Bird & Bird
| Company type | Partnership |
|---|---|
| Industry | Legal services |
| Founded | 1846 |
| Headquarters | London , United Kingdom |
Area served | Europe, Asia, Middle East, 118 countries worldwide |
| Products | Legal services including intellectual property, litigation, corporate and commercial law, employment, competition, and regulatory matters |
Bird & Bird is a global law firm that originated in London in 1846. The firm now operates from more than 31 offices spread throughout Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, with a strong emphasis on the technology, media, and telecommunications industries. Its primary legal services encompass intellectual property, litigation, corporate and commercial law, as well as employment, competition, and regulatory matters. Bird & Bird supports clients across 118 countries, with 75% of its key clients utilizing multiple offices, demonstrating the strength of its international cooperative network.
Founding and early years
The roots of Bird & Bird trace back to the 1830s, with its official foundation in the United Kingdom occurring in 1846.
Developments in the 2000s
The firm began its expansion by establishing offices in France and Sweden in 2000, followed by openings in The Netherlands (2001) and Germany (2002). This growth continued with new locations in Italy and a second German office in 2003. By 2004, Bird & Bird had surpassed 100 partners and inaugurated an office in Beijing. Further expansion included offices in Madrid, Rome, Frankfurt (2005), Lyon (2006), and Helsinki through the acquisition of Finnish firm Fennica (2008). Additional offices were launched in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and Shanghai. The London office also grew by merging with Lane & Partners.
Expansion during the 2010s
In 2013, Bird & Bird completed its Nordic region coverage by merging with Danish firm BvHD and entered into a cooperation agreement with Swiss firm BCCC Avocats. The following year saw a merger with Australian new economy specialist Truman Hoyle, marking the firm's first office in Australia and increasing its Asia Pacific footprint to five locations. Cooperation agreements were also established with firms in Malaysia, China, Indonesia, and Korea. The firm's growth continued with the opening of a Luxembourg office in 2016 and the launch of a hub office in Amsterdam along with a San Francisco representative office in 2018—its initial presence within the United States.
Clients
In 2021, Bird & Bird provided advisory services to DP Poland, the UK AIM-listed company owning the Domino's Pizza franchise in Poland, during its acquisition of the local pizza chain Dominium SA.
Awards
Bird & Bird received recognition in 2021 as "Most Admired Law Firm" by Legal Cheek and was honored as "Global Firm of the Year" by Who's Who Legal in categories including IT, Telecoms and Media, Life Sciences – Patent Litigation, and Patents.