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Norton Rose Fulbright

Norton Rose Fulbright is not technically categorised as magic or silver circle, but I believe this is an omission given that the firm is ranked very highly across a range of practice areas and has revenue figures that rival the magic circle. For these reasons, I have included the firm in this category.

Interesting selling points

  • Chambers and Partners has awarded the firm Band 1 rankings for: Asset Finance: Aviation Finance, Asset Finance: Shipping Finance, Aviation, Commodities: Derivatives & Energy Trading, Commodities; Trade Finance, Energy & Natural Resources: Mining: International and Energy & Natural Resources: Power, Renewables & Alternative Energy. 
  • Particular recognition for the firm’s work in alternative energy and renewables law, demonstrating the firm’s engagement with ESG both through its pro-bono and paid legal work.
  • Support for flexible working arrangements through the ‘Flex-ability’ employee resource group.
  • Active integration of technology into its services, with initiatives like NRF Transform, NRF Horizon Scanner, and Legal Operations Consulting.
  • Pairs trainees with both partner mentors and associate buddies.
  • Notable clients include Royal Caribbean, BP and HSBC.

We cover these selling points in more detail below, alongside other relevant firm facts and characteristics.

Practice areas / services

Norton Rose Fulbright is a full-service law firm, with a broad range of practice areas including: 

  • Antitrust and competition 
  • Banking and finance
  • Capital markets 
  • Climate change and sustainability 
  • Corporate, M&A and securities 
  • Cybersecurity and data privacy 
  • Emerging markets
  • Employment and labor 
  • Energy 
  • Environmental, social and governance 
  • Intellectual property 
  • Litigation and disputes 
  • Projects
  • Real estate 
  • Regulation and investigations 
  • Restructuring 
  • Risk advisory 
  • Tax 

Chambers and Partners, a leading analyst of the legal market, has awarded Norton Rose Fulbright its highest ‘Band 1’ ranking for the following departments: Asset Finance: Aviation Finance, Asset Finance: Shipping Finance, Aviation, Commodities: Derivatives & Energy Trading, Commodities; Trade Finance, Energy & Natural Resources: Mining: International and Energy & Natural Resources: Power, Renewables & Alternative Energy.  See here for more information

Key sectors / industries

Norton Rose Fulbright services a broad range of industries, with some of its highest-value clients operating in the following sectors:

In addition, Norton Rose Fulbright services the following industries: food and agribusiness; franchising; hotels, hospitality and leisure; information governance, privacy and cybersecurity; intellectual property; product liability; sanctions and export controls; technology; trademarks and brands; commodities; mining; oil and gas; power and utilities; financial investors; financial regulation; healthcare; life sciences and pharmaceuticals; fintech; sports law; aviation; ports and terminals; rail; and shipping.

Work

Norton Rose Fulbright consistently represents clients on high-profile legal matters, including, for example:

  • Royal Caribbean: the firm advised the lenders, led by Citi, on the financing and subsequent delivery of Royal Caribbean’s vessel ‘Utopia of the Seas’, where the team advised on all aspects of the transaction. 
  • HSBC: the firm advised HSBC Bank Middle East, HSBC Saudi Arabia and 10 other financial institutions on a $1.1 billion sustainability-linked financing to Ahli United Bank in Bahrain. 
  • BP: Norton Rose Fulbright advised BP on its acquisition of Bunge’s 50% interest in bp Bunge Bioenergia, taking full ownership of the Brazilian biofuel joint venture and rebranding to BP Bioenergy. The enterprise value of the stake acquired is approximately $1.4 billion. 

Offices / global footprint / expansion

Headquarters: London, United Kingdom.

Offices: Norton Rose Fulbright has an international network of offices in over 50 cities worldwide, including offices in Hong Kong, Toronto and Sydney.

Insights, internships and other opportunities

Norton Rose Fulbright offers a number of opportunities for individuals wishing to gain experience in the legal industry and learn more about life at the firm. Opportunities for interested applicants include: a campus ambassador programme, which involves ambassadors building a relationship with the firm whilst promoting the firm to fellow students; the ‘First Step’ programme, open to all first-year students, which offers the opportunity to spend a week at the firm’s London office; and winter, spring, and summer vacation schemes, which are open to students, graduates and postgraduates.

Training contract

Norton Rose Fulbright offers a four-seat training contract, with each seat lasting six months. Trainees are expected to take a seat in both the corporate and finance teams, plus either a litigation-related seat or a one-week litigation course. Training programmes and initiatives include pairing trainees with associate “buddies” and partner mentors. 

Secondments

Trainees at Norton Rose Fulbright are encouraged to spend at least six months of their training contract on secondment, either with a client or in an overseas office. Previous secondment locations have included Sydney, Tokyo and Dubai. 

Technology and innovation

Norton Rose Fulbright is committed to utilising technology to provide clients with flexible and innovative legal services, with related initiatives including:

  • NRF Transform: Norton Rose Fulbright’s technological innovation practices are grouped together under NRF Transform. This is a hub in which the firm brings together technologists, lawyers and clients to design and implement solutions.
  • NRF Horizon Scanner: a unique initiative that brings together a collation of technologies and expertise, NRF Horizon Scanner offers a service to clients that surveys relevant, upcoming changes in law and regulations. These changes are then explained and prioritised for action, ensuring minimal disruption in a changing regulatory landscape.
  • Legal Operations Consulting: amid a changing legal market, Norton Rose Fulbright offers clients legal operations consulting as an alternative service, which involves the firm surveying areas of the client’s business to identify possible efficiency enhancements and optimisations and then helping to implement solutions.

Corporate social responsibility

Pro bono initiatives are open to all lawyers at Norton Rose Fulbright, with engagement encouraged at all levels. Some examples of recent pro bono work include:

  • Save the Children: the firm helped advise Save the Children in its capacity as a core participant in the UK Government’s Covid-19 inquiry. Module 2 of the Inquiry looked at political and administrative governance and decision-making during the pandemic. 
  • Geneva Declaration on Human Rights at Sea: Norton Rose Fulbright helped to coordinate and participate in the first commercial legal review of the Declaration. 
  • Insurathon: the firm provides pro bono legal advice to finalists of Insurathon, a competition aimed at supporting start-up and scale-up technology businesses pursuing technological advancements and innovation in the insurance sector. 

Diversity and inclusion

Norton Rose Fulbright has stated its ambition to become an ‘employer of choice worldwide’, a mission the firm sees as essential for attracting the talent needed to provide top quality legal advice. Some examples of recent initiatives pursued to further this aim include:

  • Flex-ability Resource Group: this is an employee resource group to help any employee considering a change to their working arrangements in connection with caring responsibilities. 
  • Disability Confidence Program: this is a bespoke program to support all members of staff with a disability and to widen access to internal support for mental health. 
  • Perspectives blog: employees from marginalised groups can share their experiences, connect with others and broaden their understanding of the firm’s global culture.