Stephenson Harwood LLP is a

law firm A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise consumer, clients (individuals or corporations) about their legal rights and Obligation, respon ...

with over 1,400 people worldwide, including more than 210 partners. Headquartered in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

, with eight offices across Asia, Europe and the Middle East. In 2020/21 it achieved total revenues of £209 million and profits per equity partner of £685,000 (2020/21)

History

When attorney William Harwood returned to

after practising in

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

, he and Henry Stephenson created the firm of Harwood & Stephenson in 1875. The firm's history can be traced back to 1828 and the City law firm Tatham & Lousada. In 1920 Tathams merged with Stephenson Harwood – as the firm was by then known – to form Stephenson Harwood & Tatham, renamed Stephenson Harwood in 1977. Two years later as one of the first UK firms to enter the Asian market, it has now been in Hong Kong for over forty years. In 2002 the merger with City shipping specialist Sinclair Roche & Temperley gave it a

Shanghai Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...

office. Stephenson Harwood played an instrumental role securing release of American hostages during the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis. Acting for Bank Markazi, a leading Iranian financial institution, their personnel became de facto mediators between Iran and America. At the time all foreign Iranian assets, including those of Bank Markazi, were frozen. A key factor delaying release of the hostages was the unfreezing of Iranian assets. Stephenson Harwood engineered the means by which this could be done, causing

US Secretary of State The United States secretary of state (SecState) is a member of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States and the head of the U.S. Department of State. The secretary of state serves as the principal advisor to the p ...

Cyrus Vance Cyrus Roberts Vance (March 27, 1917January 12, 2002) was an American lawyer and diplomat who served as the 57th United States Secretary of State under President Jimmy Carter from 1977 to 1980. Prior to serving in that position, he was the United ...

to laud the firm. In 2011, in the largest Boeing deal in aviation history, the firm advised Lion Air on purchasing 230 model 737 aircraft worth US$21.7 billion. The signing was witnessed by the American Chief Executive.

2012

In March 2012 the firm converted to LLP status. In December 2012 the firm opened an office in Dubai, its first in the Middle East.

2013

Stephenson Harwood Singapore converts to LLP.

2014

Virtus Law and Stephenson Harwood announce formal law alliance. Seoul office opens.

2019

Eifion Morris appointed CEO.

References

External links

* {{Law firms of the United Kingdom Law firms of the United Kingdom Law firms established in 1977 1977 establishments in England British companies disestablished in 1977 Foreign law firms with offices in Hong Kong