Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton history

At the end of 1950, its fifth year in business, total fees received and net income had increased to $837,500 and $446,500, respectively.

When Elihu Root, Jr., joined the law firm in 1954 as 'of counsel,' he brought one of his clients, the Fiduciary Trust Company, which for many years was a source of both revenues and increased prestige for Cleary Gottlieb.

In 1959 name partner Henry Friendly left the firm to become a judge of the United States Court of Appeals, Second Circuit.

At the end of 1960 the firm's 63 lawyers and 92 clerical staff provided services that brought in $2.6 million in total fees, while net income for 1960 was $1.1 million.

In 1961 President Kennedy appointed George Ball as the Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs, and later that year Ball was appointed as the Under Secretary of State, the number two position in the United States State Department.

In 1963 the firm first began representing the American Petroleum Institute, the New York City trade association that included virtually all big oil companies.

Representing a long-held commitment to pro bono work, Cleary establishes the first law firm externship program in 1968.

In 1969 the Brazilian government chose Cleary Gottlieb for assistance on a major bond issue.

George Cleary reported in an interview reproduced in the law firm's July 9, 1970 Cleargolaw News that the firm had a general practice, with considerable involvement in international business finance.

1971: London office is opened, and the firm moves its New York office to 1 State Street Plaza.

1980: Hong Kong office is opened.

1983: Leo Gottlieb publishes a history of the firm's first 30 years.

The firm establishes a presence in Russia with the opening of its Moscow office in 1991, following the fall of the Berlin Wall and the thawing of the Cold War.

In 1999 the firm represented Newbridge Capital Limited when that company acquired 51 percent of Korea First Bank, while the remaining 49 percent continued to be held by the Korean Government.

Chambers and Partners honors the firm with its inaugural “International Law Firm of the Year” award in 2001 as well, recognizing Cleary’s preeminence as a leader in the marketplace for sophisticated, global legal services.

The firm establishes an office in Cologne in 2004, one of Europe’s most important business centers, building on the success of its practice in Germany and expanding its commitment to the growing German market.

The firm would later open an office in Seoul in 2012 to establish its Korea practice and further bolster its Asia presence.

After decades of working with clients in Silicon Valley and San Francisco, Cleary opens in the Bay Area in 2021, handling antitrust, M&A, and capital markets work on transformative deals, as well as high-stakes litigation, investigations, and enforcement matters.