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Chambers and Partners

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Chambers and Partners
IndustryRankings
Founded1989; 35 years ago (1989)
ParentOrbach and Chambers Publishing Limited

Chambers and Partners (often noted elsewhere as Chambers & Partners) is a research firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that produces international rankings for the legal industry.

Orbach and Chambers

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Orbach and Chambers Publishing Limited was founded 19 December 1969, in London, by friends[1] Laurence Francis Orbach, a university professor,[2] and lawyer Michael Ernest David Chambers.[3]

Chambers, whose father was a filmmaker, retired and sold the business in 2018, going on to establish The Garden Cinema, an independent cinema created in Art Deco style by the architects in the old office building in Parker Street, Covent Garden.[4]

Chambers and Partners

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Chambers and Partners was founded in 1989 as a division of Orbach & Chambers Publishing Limited (later, Orbach & Chambers Holdings Limited), book publishers.[1] by Laurence Francis Orbach, who, in 1976, also co-founded The Quarto Group.[2] and attorney Michael Ernest David Chambers.[3]

During the 21st century, the firm became widely recognized as an authority on global legal rankings, and was referenced, in 2018, by The National Law Review as "one of the legal industry’s most prestigious rankings — and also the most notoriously difficult to crack."[5]

In March 2018, Michael Chambers sold the company to investment fund, Inflexion Private Equity,[6] with former managing director Mark Wyatt re-joining Chambers and Partners as CEO.[7] The sale was represented by Slaughter and May.[8]

In 2020, the company was criticized, alongside its competitor The Legal 500, for taking advantage of the U.K. government furlough scheme to help alleviate economic hardship resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, despite strong sales, while claiming a reduction in income which did not appear supported in practice.[9]

Operations

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The company employs over 200 editors in London who conduct research and interviews in more than 20 languages,[10] and provides ranking on over 80,000 lawyers in more than 185 jurisdictions.[8]

The Times of London reported the company's revenues as £20 million for 2018.[11]

In June 2019, The Wall Street Journal reported that Chambers and Partners most recent annual guide to lawyers based solely in the U.S. totaled 3,239 pages.[12]

Chambers Guides

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Aside from its ranking activities; since 1990, the company has published "Chambers Global Practice Guides",[13][14] for law practice areas in a range of global jurisdictions. Chambers Guides, and its sections, are authored and edited by vetted legal professionals from firms such as DLA Piper,[15] Eversheds Sutherland,[16] Baker McKenzie,[17] Cravath, Swaine and Moore,[18] and Morgan, Lewis & Bockius.[19]

Chambers and Partners publishes its law school guide, "Chambers Student" online.[20]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Michael Chambers", LinkedIn. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
  2. ^ a b "People Round-Up, Mid-June 2018"; Publishing Trends. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
  3. ^ a b "Declaration of compliance", "ORBACH AND CHAMBERS LIMITED Company number 00969186" ("29 Dec 1969" entry - page 1 of 12 page PDF). Retrieved April 22. 2019.
  4. ^ Baron, Saskia (22 July 2023). "Michael Chambers on founding London's Garden Cinema". Financial Times. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  5. ^ "It’s Chambers Season: What You Want to Know" with Host: Sharon Berman. Guest: Megan Braverman. "Law Firm Marketing Catalyst Podcast". Podcast transcript published by National Law Review, August 21, 2018. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
  6. ^ "Inflexion Backs Legal Rankings Firm Chambers & Partners" by William Louch, Private Equity News, March 23, 2018. Retrieved April 21, 2019.]
  7. ^ "Legal ranking business sold for undisclosed sum", by Michael Cross, The Law Society Gazette, 20 March 2018. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
  8. ^ a b "Inflexion’s acquisition of legal rankings business Chambers and Partners", by Paolo Bossi, Global Legal Chronicles, April 6, 2018. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  9. ^ "Legal 500 and Chambers guide accused of furlough sharp practice" Jamie Hamilton, RollOnFriday, May 20, 2020. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
  10. ^ "The Research Team", Chambers and Partners. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
  11. ^ "Leaving Chambers", by Edward Fennell, The Times, March 22 2018. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  12. ^ "The Hottest Field in Law? Ranking the Lawyers", The Wall Street Journal, June 9, 2019. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
  13. ^ "Everything you need to know about Chambers and Partners", by Georgia Brooks, Chambers Europe Editor 2012 – 2015, Legal Business World, October 21, 2016. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
  14. ^ "Chambers Global Practice Guides", Chambers.com, Chambers and Partners. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
  15. ^ "Real Estate", "Practice Guides", Chambers and Partners, 2019. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
  16. ^ "Public Procurement and Government Contracts", "Practice Guides", Chambers and Partners, 2019. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
  17. ^ "Life Sciences", "Practice Guides", Chambers and Partners, 2019. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
  18. ^ "Litigation", "Practice Guides", Chambers and Partners, 2014. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
  19. ^ "Cartels" (UK), "Practice Guides", Chambers and Partners, 2019. Retrieved June 9, 2019.[permanent dead link]
  20. ^ Chambers Student, Chambersstudent.com, Chambers and Partners. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
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