Font Size: 
What Will Former British Attorney General Bring to Debevoise?
Reporting on the latest buzz from London, our chief European correspondent examines a first scored by a U.S. law firm
The American Lawyer
September 28, 2007
In almost 700 years, as long as Britain has had an attorney general (formerly King's Counsel), none of the occupants of that post has ever before thrown his lot in with a U.S. law firm after leaving office. So in hiring Lord Goldsmith, the attorney general in Tony Blair's government from 2001 until Blair left office earlier this year, Debevoise & Plimpton has scored a major first. As the stories from our sibling publications Legal Week and New York Law Journal and from the British national press reflect, his appointment has gotten plenty of attention. But exactly what does Goldsmith bring to Debevoise?
• The advocacy skills of one of the finest barristers of his generation
Goldsmith became a Queen's Counsel at the relatively young age of 37, while he was working at Fountain Court Chambers, one of London's largest and most successful set of barristers. His barrister practice covered a broad range of cases in commercial law, public law, international trade, arbitration and constitutional and human rights.
Of course -- like a former heavyweight champ back in the ring for one more paycheck -- if he does return to the courts, Goldsmith runs the risk of being pummeled by younger, more agile opponents. The less confrontational, more private sphere of international arbitration might make the best use of his advocacy skills.
• Government connections in the United Kingdom and overseas
Goldsmith's time in office saw him become arguably the highest-profile attorney general of recent times. His legal advice to Blair helped pave the way for the U.K.'s participation in the invasion of Iraq, and he made the controversial announcement that the U.K.'s Serious Fraud Office would drop a corruption investigation into U.K. defense contractor BAE System and its massive arms deal with Saudi Arabia.
With Britain's broadsheets giving Goldsmith's appointment plenty of ink, Debevoise has suddenly become "that firm where the bloke who okayed the invasion of Iraq works" -- at least to the man in the street. Of course, that isn't quite the profile Debevoise seeks. But Goldsmith's government credentials will surely be a big hit with American clients. Few U.K. lawyers in private pracice, unlike many of their U.S. counterparts, can boast of backgrounds in public service.
• Instant profile
Debevoise's international arbitration practice in London has needed a shot in the arm since the departure of Arthur Marriott, QC, a respected senior figure in arbitration circles, to Leboeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae. As chair of Debevoise's European litigation practice, Goldsmith is now charged with further internationalizing one of the United States' finest litigation practices. His mere name should be a good starting point.
Goldsmith also makes a big impact on Debevoise's London office as a whole. Since it opened in 1989, Debevoise's office has been a steady presence in the London market, focusing on some of the firm's U.S. strengths in private equity, capital markets and arbitration -- but Debevoise has never before hired anyone else approaching Goldsmith's stature in London.
• Pro bono credentials
Before he entered politics, Goldsmith established the English Bar's pro bono unit and still serves as its president. His commitment to good causes certainly stands out in the U.K., a market in which most attorneys still lag far behind their American counterparts in terms of their pro bono commitment. It's a perfect fit with Debevoise's A-List do-gooder ethos.
