The Magic Circle is an informal term used to describe collectively what are considered to be the five leading London law firms - all of which employ primarily solicitors. They are: This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. ... A solicitor is a type of lawyer in many common law jurisdictions, such as the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Republic of Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and Canada, but not the United States (in the United States the word has a quite different meaning—see below). ...

• Allen & Overy
• Clifford Chance
• Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
• Linklaters
• Slaughter and May

As of 2005 the first four listed were in the top six largest law firms in the world by revenue (in 2006 Clifford Chance became the world's highest-grossing business firm). Allen & Overy is a leading London-based international law firm with several thousand lawyers and over 25 offices worldwide. ... Clifford Chance LLP is the largest law firm in the world, and a component of the UKs Magic Circle. ... Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer is a leading international law firm providing business law advice throughout Europe (including the UK), the Middle East, Asia and the US. It has more than 2,400 lawyers in 27 key business centres around the world, and advises national and multinational corporations, financial institutions and governments. ... Linklaters LLP is a law firm which specialises in advising the worlds leading companies, financial institutions and governments on their most challenging transactions and assignments. ... Slaughter and May is a Magic Circle law firm based in the City of London, England. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. ... Revenue is a U.S. business term for the amount of money that a company earns from its activities in a given period, mostly from sales of products and/or services to customers. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... Clifford Chance LLP is the largest law firm in the world, and a component of the UKs Magic Circle. ...

Slaughter and May only ranked 36th in the world on this measure[1], but it has consistently enjoyed the highest profits per equity partner of the Magic Circle for a number of years. The firm is ranked as the world's 9th most profitable law firm (the only English firm in the top 10). A survey by American business website Vault.com in 2006 adjudged Slaughter and May to be the most prestigious law firm to work for in the United Kingdom. Slaughter and May is a Magic Circle law firm based in the City of London, England. ... A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem God Save the King (Queen) England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Queen Queen Elizabeth II  -  Prime Minister Tony Blair MP Unification  -  by Athelstan 967  Area... Wall Street, Manhattan is the location of the New York Stock Exchange and is often used as a symbol for the world of business. ... A website (or Web site) is a collection of web pages, images, videos and other digital assets and hosted on a particular domain or subdomain on the World Wide Web. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... Slaughter and May is a Magic Circle law firm based in the City of London, England. ... A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. ...

One reason for the difference in turnover and profitability rests in the distinctive international strategy taken by Slaughter and May from the rest of the Magic Circle, which prefers to maintain its international capability by relying on a network of so-called “Best Friends”, members of which typically are leading independent law firms in the relevant jurisdiction. This allows Slaughter and May to enjoy a higher profitability at the expense of a lower turnover compared to the rest of the Magic Circle, which has instead expanded aggressively by establishing many overseas offices. The Lawyer has also stated in 2007 that solicitors in Slaughter and May are not remunerated at as high levels as its Magic Circle competitors but its solicitors, on average, will make partner earlier. The same journal has claimed that Allen & Overy pays solicitors the highest salaries of the Magic Circle. Slaughter and May is a Magic Circle law firm based in the City of London, England. ... A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. ... Slaughter and May is a Magic Circle law firm based in the City of London, England. ... The Lawyer is a weekly British magazine for commercial lawyers and corporate directors, first published in 1981. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini era. ... In the United Kingdom and countries having a similar legal system the legal profession is divided into two kinds of lawyers: the solicitors who contact and advise clients, and barristers who argue cases in court. ... Slaughter and May is a Magic Circle law firm based in the City of London, England. ... In the United Kingdom and countries having a similar legal system the legal profession is divided into two kinds of lawyers: the solicitors who contact and advise clients, and barristers who argue cases in court. ... This article is about the journal as a written medium. ... Allen & Overy is a leading London-based international law firm with several thousand lawyers and over 25 offices worldwide. ... In the United Kingdom and countries having a similar legal system the legal profession is divided into two kinds of lawyers: the solicitors who contact and advise clients, and barristers who argue cases in court. ...

These firms are generally ranked amongst league tables as the most prestigious firms by other solicitors in England and Wales, and have the highest earnings per-partner and per-lawyer in the United Kingdom. Arguably however, their dominance of the London legal market has been challenged in recent years by American "big law" firms operating branch offices in London, due to differences in firm structure, remuneration and average attorney education^{[citation needed]}. In the United Kingdom and countries having a similar legal system the legal profession is divided into two kinds of lawyers: the solicitors who contact and advise clients, and barristers who argue cases in court. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Big law is a term which generally refers to American law firms whose size is that of several hundred lawyers or higher. ...

Related phrases

• Global Quartet or Big Four, referring to members of the Magic Circle other than Slaughter and May as it has, in general, not pursued a policy of expansion
• Golden Circle, a term used for example, by The Economist, or Silver Circle coined by The Lawyer magazine in 2005 to describe mid-market or boutique law firms in the UK with profits per partner levels similar to those of the Magic Circle but being much smaller in terms of overall turnover and numbers of lawyers
• White shoe firms or Charmed Circle, referring law firms perceived to be the leading New York law firms
• Seven Sisters, referring to the seven Canadian law firms considered to be the top tier
• Big Six, referring to six Australian law firms perceived to be of the top tier