Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft

Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP
Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft
Headquarters200 Liberty Street
New York City, U.S.[1]
No. of offices5
No. of attorneysApproximately 400 (2022)[2]
Key peoplePatrick Quinn, managing partner[2]
Revenue$608.9 million (2021)[3]
Profit per equity partner$4.38 million (2021)
Date founded1792 (1792)
FounderJohn Wells
Company typeLLP
Dissolved30 June 2026
Websitecadwalader.com

Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP (known as Cadwalader) was a law firm based in New York City. It was the city's oldest law firm[4][5] and one of the oldest continuously operating legal practices in the United States.[6][7] Attorney John Wells founded the practice in 1792. Cadwalader's Lower Manhattan headquarters is one of its five offices in three countries. In April 2026, partners of Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft and Hogan Lovells voted to merge the two law firms to form Hogan Lovells Cadwalader.[8]

Overview

New York City's oldest law firm,[4][5] Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft was headquartered at 200 Liberty Street in Lower Manhattan.[1] The firm's final managing partner, Patrick Quinn, oversaw approximately 400 attorneys as of 2022.[2] It operated out of five offices across the United States and Europe. In addition to its Wall Street location, Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft had offices in Washington, D.C., Charlotte, North Carolina, London, and Dublin.[9] In 2021, Cadwalader generated $608.9 million in revenue, with profits per partner of $4.38 million.[6]

History

Founding, 18th and 19th centuries

The offices of Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft at 200 Liberty Street in New York City

In 1792, attorney John Wells, a Princeton graduate who was one of approximately 80 lawyers in New York City at the time, founded the law firm that ultimately became known as Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft.[10] The firm became a partnership called Wells & Strong[11] in 1818 when George Washington Strong joined Wells' practice.[10]

Wells' death in 1823[5] prompted Strong to bring in George Griffin as partner. Griffin then left in 1838 and George Washington Strong partnered with Marshall Bidwell.[12] George Washington Strong's son, George Templeton Strong, a lawyer and noted diarist, joined the firm in 1844.

The firm became known as Strong, Bidwell & Strong[13] and then later became Bidwell & Strong in 1855 after George Washington Strong's death.[12] Charles E. Strong, George Templeton Strong's cousin, became the firm's chief in the 1870s. During his tenure, he considered shuttering the firm and moving from law to banking.[10] In 1878, Strong partnered with John Lambert Cadwalader, who was assistant secretary of state during President Ulysses S. Grant's administration.[10]

Cadwalader's global headquarters at 200 Liberty Street in New York City

George W. Wickersham, an antitrust lawyer, joined the firm in 1883[5] and made partner in 1887.[10] Wickersham was named U.S. Attorney General under President William Howard Taft.[10] Henry W. Taft, President Taft's brother, began working at Cadwalader in 1889;[5] he became partner in 1899.[14]

20th century

Taft served as special assistant to the U.S. Attorney General from 1905 to 1907.[14] The firm became known as Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft in 1914.[10]

In the 1930s, Cadwalader was involved with the custody trial determining the guardianship of Gloria Vanderbilt.[10][15] Catherine Noyes Lee became Cadwalader's first female partner in 1942.[10] In the 1950s, the firm was led by Cornelius W. Wickersham.[10]

Cadwalader expanded its footprint as the firm opened an office in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 1996,[9] established a London presence in 1997[16] and opened its first office in China, located in Beijing, in 2005.[17]

In the mid-1990s, a group of partners formed what some at Cadwalader referred to as Project Rightsize, an effort from 1994 to 1995 to remove less productive partners.[18] The group shuttered Cadwalader's office in Palm Beach, Florida, and reduced a branch in Los Angeles, California. In all, 17 partners, nearly 20 percent, left the firm.[18] Critics said the move was driven by individuals' financial interests and two former partners successfully sued Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft for violating its partnership agreement.[18]

21st century

Following the September 11 attacks, Cadwalader assisted families of those killed,[19] including immigrant families.[20] A portion of the firm's post-9/11 work occurred when attorneys learned there was no central resource for families seeking benefits; as a result, Cadwalader lawyers put together the "Handbook of Public and Private Assistance Resources for the Victims and Families of the World Trade Center Attacks", which was released in November 2001.[19] The firm released an expanded version the following year.[19]

During the 2008 financial crisis, Cadwalader reduced its number of lawyers by about 20 percent in 2008. A reporter for The Wall Street Journal suggested the move was meant to lower operating costs as demand for its services decreased. Then-Chairman W. Christopher White stated, "There was a bubble, we rode that bubble, it contracted, and we adjusted".[21] Also during the fiscal crisis, Cadwalader attorneys served as advisers for the U.S. Treasury as Chrysler and General Motors restructured.[22] Cadwalader expanded in China with a Hong Kong office in 2010.[23] In 2011, the firm opened offices in Houston[24] and Brussels.[25]

In 2013, James C. Woolery left JP Morgan Chase for Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft. The next year, Woolery was selected to take over as the firm's new chairman starting in 2015.[26] In January 2015, when the chairman-elect was slated to take the chairman's post, the firm announced Woolery had left Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft to launch a hedge fund.[2] The firm eliminated the chairman position and Managing Partner Patrick Quinn began overseeing the firm.[2]

In 2025, the firm agreed to a deal with Donald Trump to do 100 million dollars' worth of pro bono work on behalf of causes promoted by Trump,[27][28][29] which was followed by mass resignations of lawyers.[30][31]

On December 19, 2025, Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft announced a merger with Hogan Lovells to form Hogan Lovells Cadwalader.[32][33][34] The merger was approved by partner votes at both firms on April 13, 2026.[8] The combined firm began operations in July 2026, with over 3,100 lawyers.[35][36]

Areas of practice

Cadwalader's practices covered varying areas of law, including: antitrust, capital markets, corporate, energy and commodities, finance, financial restructuring, financial services, health care/not-for-profit, intellectual property, litigation, tax and private wealth, and white collar defense and investigations.[37][38] The firm had long-standing client relationships with premier financial institutions, Fortune 500 companies, government entities, charitable and health care organizations, and private clients.[39] The firm also took on pro bono assignments, providing attorneys for non-profit organizations, including those assisting women, children and immigrants.[40][41]

One of the firm's highest-profile pro bono clients was Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai.[42] Cadwalader began representing the female education activist in 2012, while she was seventeen years old and still hospitalized by a Taliban shooting. The firm continued to represent her for two years, ultimately establishing the Malala Fund, a nonprofit organization advocating for women's access to education.[42]

Rankings and recognition

Law associates surveyed for the Vault 100 law firm rankings placed Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft at No. 53 on its 2024 list of most prestigious firms to work for.[43] In 2015, U.S. News & World Report named Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft "Law Firm of the Year" for derivatives and futures law.[44] Cadwalader was ranked No. 1 on the Commercial Mortgage Alert's top issuer counsel[45] and top underwriter counsel[46] tables for commercial mortgage-backed securities in 2015. Additionally, the firm received recognition in 2015 for its business culture[47] and diversity.[48][49]

In 2021, The American Lawyer ranked Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft No. 85 on the Am Law 100,[50] an annual ranking of U.S. firms by gross revenue.[51] The publication also classified Cadwalader as one of only twenty-four "Superrich Firms" in the United States, categorized as those generating at least $1 million in revenue per lawyer and $2 million in profits per partner.[52]

Notable staff

John Lambert Cadwalader
Michael E. Horowitz

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Barbarino, Al (January 22, 2014). "Law firm renews nearly 60,000 SF at Brookfield Place complex". Commercial Observer. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Beck, Susan (May 3, 2015). "A challenging year at Cadwalader". The American Lawyer. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  3. ↑ "Cadwalader Saw Partner Profits Soar by 70% as Revenue Grew More Than 30% in 2021". Law.com. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  4. 1 2 Bagli, Charles (October 5, 2003). "Home Front: At home in Lower Manhattan for 211 years". The New York Times. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "Noted New York law firm donates historical records". Yale Bulletin & Calendar. September 29, 2000. Archived from the original on September 10, 2015. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  6. 1 2 Jackson, Dylan (January 21, 2022). "Cadwalader Saw Partner Profits Soar by 70% as Revenue Grew More Than 30% in 2021". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  7. ↑ "Two old-guard law firms squabble over title of oldest - UPI Archives". UPI. Retrieved August 4, 2026.
  8. 1 2 Thomas, David (April 13, 2026). "Perkins Coie, Ashurst partners approve law firm merger". Retrieved April 15, 2026.
  9. 1 2 Gordon, Michael; Rothacker, Rick (February 25, 2015). "US Attorney Anne Tompkins heading to Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Moody, Sid (September 27, 1992). "Venerable law firm looks back 200 years". Associated Press. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  11. ↑ Swain, Robert T. (2012). The Cravath Firm and Its Predecessors, 1819-1947, Volume 1. The Lawbook Exchange. p. 7. ISBN 9781584777137.
  12. 1 2 "George Washington Strong Legal Records". Syracuse University Libraries. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  13. ↑ Linden, Glenn M. (January 1, 2001). Voices from the Gathering Storn: The Coming of the American Civil War. Rowman & Littlefield. p. xxiii. ISBN 9780842029995.
  14. 1 2 "Obituary record of graduates of Yale University during the year 1945-1946" (PDF). January 1, 1947. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  15. ↑ Goldsmith, Barbara (2011). Little Gloria. Knopf. p. 650. ISBN 9780307800329. Retrieved October 20, 2015.
  16. ↑ "U.S. Law Firms in London Earn More Than U.K. Peers, Poll Finds". Bloomberg News. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  17. ↑ Raymond, Nate (August 22, 2008). "Cadwalader to lose Beijing managing partner". The American Lawyer. Retrieved July 7, 2015.
  18. 1 2 3 Barrett, Paul (August 17, 1998). "Ousting partners for big profits, Cadwalader's new image sizzles". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  19. 1 2 3 "Public service in a time of crisis: a report and retrospective on the legal community's response to the events of September 11, 2001". Fordham Urban Law Journal. 2003. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  20. ↑ Navarro, Mireya (May 6, 2002). "For illegal workers' kin, no paper trail and less 9/11 aid". The New York Times. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  21. ↑ Jones, Ashby (August 6, 2008). "Cadwalader's layoff strategy". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  22. ↑ De La Merced, Michael J. (July 25, 2009). "2 lawyers on the G.M. case tell their story". The New York Times. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  23. ↑ Zanki, Tom (January 9, 2015). "Cadwalader Nabs 3 Partners From Latham's Hong Kong Office". Law360. Retrieved July 7, 2015.
  24. ↑ "Firms ramp up Houston energy practices". Houston Business Journal. July 8, 2011. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  25. ↑ Lipman, Melissa (April 28, 2011). "Cadwalader launches Brussels base with antitrust vet". Law360. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  26. ↑ De La Merced, Michael J. (January 9, 2014). "Cadwalader Picks Woolery as Next Chairman". The New York Times. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  27. ↑ "Trump strikes deals with five top firms as legal industry faces crackdown". Reuters. Retrieved April 11, 2025.
  28. ↑ "Trump says 5 more law firms will provide $600 million total in free legal work for causes he supports". Retrieved April 11, 2025.
  29. ↑ "Trump announces $600 million in new deals with five law firms". Retrieved April 11, 2025.
  30. ↑ "At Least 10 Lawyers Plan Exit From Cadwalader". Law. Retrieved April 12, 2025.
  31. ↑ Mulvaney, Erin (2025). "Exclusive | Venerable New York Firm That Struck a Deal With Trump Is Losing Lawyers". The Wall Street Journal.
  32. ↑ Mulvaney, Erin (December 18, 2025). "Hogan Lovells and Cadwalader to Merge, Creating $3.6 Billion Law Firm". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on December 19, 2025. Retrieved December 19, 2025.
  33. ↑ Merken, Sara (December 19, 2025). "Hogan Lovells and Cadwalader plan merger to create law firm with $3.6 bln in revenue".
  34. ↑ "Law firms Hogan Lovells and Cadwalader set to merge in record deal". Financial Times. Retrieved December 20, 2025.
  35. ↑ Henry, Justin (April 15, 2026). "Hogan, Cadwalader Partners Approve Largest Law Firm Merger". Bloomberg Law. Retrieved April 16, 2026.
  36. ↑ Thomas, David (April 15, 2026). "Hogal Lovells, Cadwalader partners approve law firm merger". Reuters. Retrieved April 16, 2026.
  37. ↑ "Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP". Chambers & Partners. Archived from the original on July 3, 2015. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  38. ↑ "Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP | Company Profile". vault.com. Retrieved April 16, 2026.
  39. ↑ "Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP Profile". The National Law Review. January 2, 2016. ISSN 2161-3362. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
  40. ↑ "Kids in Need of Defense KIND welcomes founding executive director". Women's Health Weekly. January 29, 2009. Archived from the original on February 22, 2016. Retrieved July 23, 2015.
  41. ↑ Bormann, Emily. "Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft's Women's Leadership Initiative Launches Housing Clinic in Partnership with The Legal Aid Society". Retrieved August 19, 2015.
  42. 1 2 "Cadwalader Hails Nobel Prize-Winning Pro Bono Client Malala Yousafzai". The American Lawyer. October 24, 2014.
  43. ↑ "Vault Law 100". firsthand.co. Vault.com. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  44. ↑ ""Law Firm of the Year" Awards". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  45. ↑ "Top issuer counsel for US CMBS". Commercial Mortgage Alert. June 30, 2015. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  46. ↑ "Top underwriter counsel for US CMBS". Commercial Mortgage Alert. June 30, 2015. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  47. ↑ Triedman, Julie (May 29, 2015). "Arnold & Porter, others make Best Firms For Families list". The Am Law Daily. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  48. ↑ Maniace, Len (March 30, 2015). "Diversity Initiative Honorees 2015: Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft". New York Law Journal. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  49. ↑ Roberts, Randi (October 30, 2014). "Recap: 12th Annual Difference Matters Magazine Awards Gala To Support Nontraditional Employment For Women Honors Top Corporate Allies For Diversity". Ask Miss A. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  50. ↑ "Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft Law Firm Profile". The American Lawyer. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  51. ↑ "Cadwalader". Law.com. March 30, 2022. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  52. ↑ Johnson, Chip (June 27, 2015). "Am Law 100 Analysis: The Superrich Firms Pull Away". The American Lawyer. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  53. ↑ Case and Comment, Volume 20, 1914.
  54. ↑ "Oscar S. Cox Papers," Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library & Museum.
  55. ↑ "Meet the Inspector General," U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General.
  56. ↑ McCabe, David (March 22, 2024). "The Trustbuster Who Has Apple and Google in His Sights". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 14, 2026.
  57. ↑ "DOJ antitrust nominee reports $20 mln in Paul, Weiss income". Reuters. Archived from the original on July 21, 2025. Retrieved April 14, 2026.
  58. ↑ Sisak, Michael R. (April 3, 2026). "What to know about Todd Blanche, Trump's pick for acting attorney general". PBS News. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
  59. ↑ Greene, Connor (April 2, 2026). "Who Is Todd Blanche, Trump's Former Lawyer and the New Acting Attorney General?". Time. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
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