Rogers & Wells
 | |
| Headquarters | New York City |
|---|---|
| No. of offices | 7 |
| No. of attorneys | 400 |
| Major practice areas | General practice |
| Date founded | 1873 |
| Company type | Limited liability partnership |
| Dissolved | 2000 (merged with Clifford Chance) |
Rogers & Wells was a New-York based international law firm founded in 1873. After several name changes, it was renamed for William P. Rogers and John A. Wells. The firm was well known for its litigation arm (second largest in New York City after white shoe establishment firm Simpson Thacher & Bartlett). It also had an active capital markets and international finance practice, where its main client was Merrill Lynch. The firm at its peak embraced approximately 400 attorneys and maintained offices in New York, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Paris, London, Hong Kong, and Frankfurt. In 2000, the firm merged with London-based Clifford Chance. The firm practiced as Clifford Chance Roger & Wells in the Americas until 2003, when the use of the legacy U.S. firm's name was discontinued. Just before and immediately after the merger, several high-profile partners decamped for other firms including New York rival Kaye Scholer. The Paris outpost joined Kramer Levin.
Notable alumni
- William J. Casey, Director of Central Intelligence, 1981-1987
- Kenneth Chenault, CEO of American Express
- Victor F. Ganzi, CEO of Hearst
- William P. Rogers, US Secretary of State, 1969–1973
- Kenneth C. Royall, US Secretary of the Army, 1947–1949
- Eugene Rossides, founder of the American Hellenic Institute and its affiliate, the American Hellenic Institute Public Affairs Committee
- Albert II, Prince of Monaco.
External links
- Rogers & Wells Close to Awfully Big Merger With London Law Firm
- Rogers & Wells Settles Suit
- 2 Law Firms Plan to Bridge The Atlantic