White & Case is distinguished not only by the depth and scope of its legal advisory services, but also by unmatched experience in the international arena, particularly in providing legal advisory services to, and in, developing or emerging countries. The firm's lawyers have decades of experience in multijurisdictional issues in numerous legal systems — some well established, some in their infancy — as well as in transitional economic and political systems. As a result, the firm is known for its expertise in assisting clients with accomplishing their objectives in unfamiliar and often daunting environments.
White & Case has earned innumerable awards, including being ranked in Capital Markets and
Finance Super Leagues, by PLC Which Lawyer? 2009, being named No. 1 Global Bankruptcy Law Firm, by The Deal 2009, being named Global Elite Firm, by Legal Business 2009, being named Top Tier in International Arbitration, by American Lawyer 2009, and being named Top International Arbitration Firm, by Global Arbitration Review 2009. The firm was also named Global Elite in Antitrust/Competition by Global Competition Review 2010 and was named Top 5 M&A Firm in Latin America by the Latin Business Chronicle 2010.
Partner Duane Wall assumed leadership of White & Case in 2000, and presided over further expansion of the firm, particularly in Europe, where the firm opened in Milan, Italy in 2001, and merged with one of Germany's largest firms, Feddersen.
On October 1, 2007, White & Case unveiled a new leadership team, led by Chairman Hugh Verrier. Previously head of the firm's Moscow office, Verrier was elected by the partnership in August 2007. The firm's new Executive Committee, which acts as the executive decision-making body, includes Verrier and three appointed partners - Anthony Kahn, Oliver Brettle and Asli Basgoz.
For the first time in 2005, White & Case exceeded $1 billion in revenue, and also became home to more than 2,000 lawyers.
Since 2000, the London office of White & Case has expanded considerably and now has a legal staff of more than 400. In 1971, White & Case was one of the first U.S. firms to establish a London office. It was also one of the first foreign firms to qualify when the Law Society of England and Wales changed its rules in 1993 to allow English and registered foreign lawyers to practice together in partnership.
In 2009, the firm introduced its social responsibility initiative, building on the firm's long history of service through its pro bono work, legal education, community volunteerism, charitable contributions and focus on environmental sustainability, to ensure the firm fulfills its responsibilities to the global community with the greatest possible impact.
In 2009, White & Case lawyers spent more than 80,000 hours on pro bono matters. The firm facilitated investment in developing economies through its close partnerships with microfinance and other social welfare investment funds. White & Case advised on the first debt-for-nature swap in Indonesia, which helped protect some of the world's most endangered species. The firm also advocated for human rights, worked on behalf of children needing access to justice and provided legal services to a wide range of nonprofit organizations around the world.
