Accenture PLC is one of the world’s largest consulting firms, specializing in management consulting, technology services and business process outsourcing. Its Chicago roots date to the 1950s as the consulting arm of former Big Five accounting firm Arthur Andersen. Accenture broke off from its parent in 1989. Today, the firm is domiciled in Dublin but maintains major offices in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and nearly 200 cities in 56 countries. The firm employs 275,000 people globally with revenues of nearly $29 billion in 2013.
LEGAL TEAM
Julie Sweet manages an international legal department of 1,500, including 470 lawyers. More than 40 percent of the attorneys are based in North America. The team’s priorities include contract and commercial deal support, compliance, dispute resolution and litigation, intellectual property and regulatory work. In late 2011, Sweet began realigning the department to support Accenture’s growth, creating two specialized global groups: CORE (which stands for compliance, operations, regulatory and ethics) and a separate contracting group. The department has added automated tools to vet gifts and entertainment for public officials.
