Friederike Heine assesses the prospects for a hard-to-define global law firm with renewed ambition

To most City lawyers, Dechert remains a mystery, at least as much as this singular US law firm figures at all in the minds of the average UK partner or general counsel. As a top 50 US practice with profitability not far off magic circle levels and a pioneering UK merger under its belt 12 years ago, Dechert should be well established as one of the leading foreign firms in London.