Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton
| Company type | Limited liability partnership |
|---|---|
| Industry | Legal services |
| Predecessor | Root, Clark, Buckner & Howland (founding partners departed) |
| Founded | 1946 |
| Founder | Six partners including Henry Friendly |
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Lee Buchheit (partner), David M. Becker, Giovanni Prezioso, Evan A. Davis, Lev L. Dassin, Joon Kim, Leslie N. Silverman |
| Products | Legal services (sovereign debt restructuring, mergers and acquisitions, litigation) |
Number of employees | 1,200+ attorneys |
| Website | www |
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP—commonly referred to as Cleary Gottlieb and previously known as Cleary, Gottlieb, Friendly & Cox as well as Cleary, Gottlieb, Friendly, Steen & Hamilton—is a U.S.-based multinational law firm with its headquarters situated at One Liberty Plaza in New York City. Classified among the prestigious white shoe firms, Cleary boasts a global workforce exceeding 1,200 attorneys.
History
The firm was established in 1946 by six partners who departed from Root, Clark, Buckner & Howland, originally carrying the name "Cleary, Gottlieb, Friendly, & Cox." One of the founding partners, Henry Friendly, had his name removed from the firm's title following his 1959 appointment to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
In August 2007, Cleary Gottlieb faced sanctions from Manhattan federal judge Loretta Preska for efforts to discourage a witness in the case Kensington International Ltd. v. Republic of Congo, where the firm represented Congo in defense against a $57 million judgment.
Beginning in 2010, Cleary took a leading role advising on significant mergers and acquisitions involving Russian entities subjected to sanctions. Up until 2022, the firm notably represented Russian state-controlled energy companies Rosneft and Gazprom.
In November 2023, responding to an increase in antisemitic incidents at top U.S. law schools, Cleary joined other major law firms in alerting law school deans that such behavior could influence corporate recruitment decisions. The collective letter underscored a strict policy of zero tolerance toward discrimination within professional environments.
In March 2025, Cleary broadened its service offerings by acquiring Springbok AI, a company specializing in artificial intelligence-driven legal technology solutions.
Offices
The firm's New York office is located at One Liberty Plaza, in close proximity to the World Trade Center site. Its Washington office can be found at 2112 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, approximately five blocks northwest of the White House.
Notable lawyers
Prominent legal figures associated with Cleary Gottlieb include former U.N. Ambassador George W. Ball, Judge Henry Friendly, and Melvin Steen. Among current leading attorneys are former SEC general counsels David M. Becker and Giovanni Prezioso; ex-president of the New York City Bar Association Evan A. Davis; former Acting U.S. Attorneys for the Southern District of New York Lev L. Dassin and Joon Kim; as well as capital markets specialist Leslie N. Silverman.
Distinguished alumni encompass Secretary of the Treasury Robert Rubin; a U.S. Supreme Court Justice; former chairman of the RNC, Michael Steele; Harvard Law professor David Kennedy; Yale Law professor Amy Chua; author Susan Cain; U.S. National Security Council Director for Russia; Belgium’s Ambassador to the United States; Darren Walker, President of the Ford Foundation; founder of Lending Club, Renaud Laplanche; Rice University President David W. Leebron; and co-president of the ERA Coalition, Jessica Neuwirth.
Notable cases and mandates
Cleary Gottlieb has amassed extensive expertise in sovereign debt restructurings, having represented countries such as Greece, the Republic of Congo, and Ivory Coast. Key engagements include:
- Advising Argentina during its $81.8 billion debt restructuring in 2005 and Greece throughout its record-setting sovereign debt restructuring and bond exchange in 2012.
- Representing Sichuan Hongda Group in a $3 billion joint venture investment with Tanzania’s National Development Corporation—the largest investment in East Africa at that time.
- Providing counsel to T-Mobile on its $2.4 billion merger with SunCom Wireless in 2007 and later on its merger with Sprint Corporation in 2012.
- Defending the Republic of Congo against U.S.-based litigation concerning garnishment related to oil royalties.
- Representing Mittal Steel’s Czech subsidiary in arbitration proceedings before the ICC against a Dutch contractor.
- Advising Google on its acquisition of Motorola Mobility.
- Acting as international legal counsel for The Hellenic Republic during its €206 billion bond restructuring—the largest sovereign debt exchange ever conducted.
- Representing Russia in the Yukos arbitration case that initially resulted in a landmark $50 billion award against Russia but was subsequently overturned by a Dutch court.
- Assisting Puerto Rico’s government with restructuring its $72 billion public debt portfolio.
- Counseling The Dow Chemical Company on antitrust issues amid its $130 billion merger with DuPont—one of the most significant mergers ever completed.
- Representing Walt Disney Company and 21st Century Fox regarding antitrust matters related to Disney’s $71.3 billion acquisition of Fox assets.
- Advising on the $146 billion merger between Sprint and T-Mobile.
These assignments underscore Cleary Gottlieb’s proficiency in managing intricate cross-border transactions, sovereign debt matters, mergers and acquisitions, as well as high-profile litigation.
Buchheit and collective efforts
Cleary Gottlieb's prominence in sovereign debt restructuring is primarily credited to partner Lee Buchheit, who has spearheaded negotiations involving 20 nations. Buchheit’s scholarly contributions have addressed deficiencies in existing legal frameworks, particularly through the creation of the 2002 collective action clause (CAC), which compels all bondholders to accept a restructuring if a qualified majority consents. Additionally, he co-wrote a 2013 Brookings Institution report recommending improvements to sovereign debt mechanisms, including strengthening CAC provisions.
Accolades and distinctions
- In 2014, Law360 featured Cleary on its "Global 20" list of leading international law firms.
- The International Financial Law Review honored Cleary as Americas Law Firm of the Year in 2015 and recognized it as Russian Law Firm of the Year consecutively from 2013 to 2015.
- Legal Business designated Cleary as Law Firm of the Year in 2013.
- Vault placed Cleary at #8 among Best Law Firms in 2016, a slight drop from #7 in the previous year.
- Chambers USA awarded Cleary its first-ever International Law Firm of the Year title in 2016.
- Vault.com ranked Cleary #3 for International Practice and #9 overall in its 2016 "Vault Law 100."
- Television producer Doug Liman acknowledged Cleary as an inspiration behind the television series Suits.
- In 2024, the Financial Times listed Cleary Gottlieb among the top 15 most innovative law firms across North America.