The Big Four are the four largest professional services networks in the world: Deloitte, EY, KPMG, and PwC. They are the four largest global accounting networks as measured by revenue. The four are often grouped because they are comparable in size relative to the rest of the market, both in terms of revenue and workforce; they are considered equal in their ability to provide a wide scope of professional services to their clients; and, among those looking to start a career in professional services, particularly accounting, they are considered equally attractive networks to work in, because of the frequency with which these firms engage with Fortune 500 companies.
A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise clients about their legal rights and responsibilities, and to represent clients in civil or criminal cases, business transactions, and other matters in which legal advice and other assistance are sought.
A Swiss association is a type of corporation in Swiss law. It is similar to the Anglo-American voluntary association. Unlike in Germany, a Swiss association does not need to be registered in order to obtain legal personality, but must be registered if it "conducts a commercial operation". An association can serve as a non-profit organization (NPO) or non-governmental organization (NGO) and this form is used by several Swiss sections of international NGOs such as Amnesty International, and the World Wildlife Fund, by business firms or by international organizations such as the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). The form can also be used by political parties and alliances, such as trade unions.
DAC Beachcroft LLP is a leading international legal business of more than 2,900 people across offices in the UK, Ireland, Europe, Latin America and Asia Pacific. It is headquartered in London, United Kingdom.
A law firm network is a membership organization consisting of independent law firms. These networks are one type of professional services networks similar to networks found in the accounting profession. The common purpose is to expand the resources available to each member for providing services to their clients. Prominent primary law firm networks include CICERO League of International Lawyers, First Law International, Alliott Group (multidisciplinary), Lex Mundi, World Services Group (multidisciplinary), TerraLex, Meritas, Multilaw, The Network of Trial Law Firms, Inc., the State Capital Group, and Pacific Rim Advisory Council. The largest networks have more than 10,000 attorneys located in hundreds of offices worldwide.
Reed Smith LLP is a global law firm with more than 1,500 lawyers in 30 offices throughout the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
The Big Six is a term that has traditionally referred to the six largest Australian law firms, as assessed by revenue and lawyer head count. From the mid-1980s, the phrase was in regular use to distinguish the largest Australian firms, collectively, from their smaller competitors. While informal, it was a widely-used descriptor, appearing in news items, industry commentary and scholarly articles.
Miller Thomson LLP is a national business law firm with approximately 525 lawyers across 5 provinces in Canada. The firm offers a full range of services in litigation and disputes, and provides business law expertise in mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance and securities, financial services, tax, restructuring and insolvency, trade, real estate, property development, labour and employment as well as a host of other specialty areas. Miller Thomson offices are located in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, Saskatoon, London, Waterloo Region, Toronto, Vaughan and Montréal.
AllBright Law Offices is a Shanghai-based Chinese law firm ranked the seventh largest in the country and eighth largest in Asia by number of lawyers. Among national corporate law firms, AllBright is the only one headquartered in Shanghai.
Noerr is a pan-European full-service law firm headquartered in Munich, Germany. Founded in 1950, the firm today operates 15 offices in Germany, Central and Eastern Europe, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States. Noerr currently employs over 500+ lawyers, tax consultants, chartered accountants and business consultants. As of September 2022 Noerr is ranked as the second largest independent German law firm by revenue, behind Hengeler Mueller, making it the sixth-largest European law firm by revenue.
Professional services networks are business networks of independent firms who come together to provide professional services to clients through an organized framework. They are notably found in law and accounting. Any profession that operates in one location, but has clients in multiple locations, may provide potential members for a professional network. This entry focuses on accounting, legal, multidisciplinary and specialty practice networks. According to statistics from 2010, members of these networks employ more than one million professionals and staff and have cumulative annual revenues that exceed $200 billion.
An accounting network or accounting association is a professional services network whose principal purpose is to provide members resources to assist the clients around the world and hence reduce the uncertainty by bringing together a greater number of resources to work on a problem. The networks and associations operate independently of the independent members. The largest accounting networks are known as the Big Four.
Multidisciplinary professional services networks are organizations formed by law, accounting and other professional services firms to offer clients new multidisciplinary approaches solving increasingly complex issues. They are a type of professional services network which operates to provide services to their members. They operate in the same way as accounting firm networks and associations and law firm networks. They do not practice a profession such as law or accounting but provide services to members so they can serve clients needs. Their aim is to provide members involved in doing business internationally with access to experienced, tried and tested, reliable, and responsive professional advisers who know their local jurisdiction intimately as well as the intricacies of cross border business.
World Services Group (WSG) is a global multidisciplinary professional services network composed of independent law, accounting, and investment banking firms. It ranks as one of the largest among the more than 200 professional service networks in the world. WSG members are independent law, accounting, and investment banking firms. According to the organization's website as of 2021, WSG was formed in 2002 as a multidisciplinary network comprising over 120 member firms in 150 jurisdictions and 23,000 professionals. Its global headquarters are located in Houston, Texas.
Shepherd and Wedderburn LLP is a commercial law firm, headquartered in Edinburgh, Scotland, with offices in Glasgow, Aberdeen and London.
Han Kun Law Offices is an international law firm headquartered in Beijing, China with offices in Shanghai, Shenzhen, Haikou, Wuhan, Hong Kong, Singapore and New York. The firm has a strong focus on financing and investment-related areas, counting multinational companies, funds, and a number of top-notch companies from new economic sectors as clients. The firm is widely considered to be among China’s most prestigious law practices.
Katende Ssempebwa & Co. Advocates commonly known as KATS is a Ugandan law firm whose headquarters are in Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. It is the country's longest-standing premier league corporate commercial firm founded in 1969. It is the biggest full-service Ugandan firm in terms of numbers and a member of the LEXAfrica network.
S&L Advocates is a Ugandan law firm headquartered in Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. It is a leading business law firm that was founded in 1980 by Paulo Sebalu and Godfrey Serunkuma Lule. The firm is a member of DLA Piper and the DLA Piper Africa Group. The firm's advocates are members of various professional bodies, including the International Bar Association, the Commonwealth Lawyers Association, the East African Law Society and the Uganda Law Society.
Kasirye Byaruhanga & Co Advocates is a Ugandan law firm headquartered in Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. It is a business law firm that was founded in 1991 by Andrew Kasirye and William Byaruhanga. The firm is part of Mackrell International, a global law firm network, and is active in litigation, with a substantial part of its practice also dedicated to transactional matters and retainer clients. The firm's advocates are members of various professional bodies, including the International Bar Association, the East African Law Society and the Uganda Law Society.
Kennedys Law LLP is an international commercial law firm specialising in insurance, dispute resolution and advisory services. In 2019/20 it increased total global revenue by 9% to £238 million. UK turnover increased by 9.7%, and revenue growth was supported by a 7% increase in the number of fee-earners worldwide, taking global headcount to 2,500+. It has offices in Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Bermuda, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, France, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Mexico, New Zealand, Oman, Peru, Singapore, Spain, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States.
