In just over a year, Norton Rose’s Peter Martyr has crafted ambitious tie-ups in Australia, Canada and South Africa. Next stop, America. Chris Johnson reports
Not too long ago, Norton Rose looked like an also-ran. The London firm, known for its financial institutions practice, stumbled badly after its offices were bombed – twice – by IRA terrorists in the early 1990s. It jumped belatedly on the global bandwagon, establishing a network of European offices that did not turn a profit for half a decade. By the early 2000s, key partners were running for the exits. The magic circle, formerly Norton Rose’s closest rivals, had pulled far ahead.
