CMS – Facts, Figures & History
Established: July 1999
Member firms: 9
Partners: c 750
Lawyers: > 2,800
Total staff: c 5,000
Jurisdictions present: 30
Cities present: 49
Offices: 55
History
- CMS was formally established on July 1, 1999 with the objective to create a professional multi-jurisdictional legal and tax service organisation, headquartered in Europe.
- The founding partners were the UK, German, Austrian, Dutch and Belgian firms.
- In 2000 CMS von Erlach Klainguti Stettler Wille, the Swiss firm, joined CMS.
- In 2001 CMS Bureau Francis Lefebvre, our French firm, joined CMS. It was then that CMS Legal Services EEIG was transferred to Brussels, where the head office was originally situated. The head office is now managed by a dedicated team based in Frankfurt.
- In 2002 CMS Adonnino Ascoli & Cavasola Scamoni, the Italian firm, joined CMS.
- In October 2004 CMS Albiñana & Suárez de Lezo signed the agreement to join, which they did on the 1st of January 2005.
- In November 2004, CMS Lexcelis announces the planned merger with DeBacker in Belgium. The merger took place on the 1st of January 2005. From that day onwards, the firm is called CMS DeBacker.
- In October 2005, CMS von Erlach Klainguti Stettler Wille merged with the renowned Zurich firm Henrici, Wicki & Guggisberg. The new firm was named CMS von Erlach Henrici.
- In February 2008, CMS Reich-Rohrwig Hainz continues its expansion in the CEE/SEE region. At the beginning of this year a new office started operating in Slovenia. CMS Reich-Rohrwig Hainz is now active in eight locations, namely Vienna, Belgrade, Bratislava, Brussels, Kyiv, Ljubljana, Sofia and Zagreb.
- In June 2008 CMS Reich-Rohrwig Hainz merged with the prominent corporate law firm Dallmann & Juranek. The merger is part of an accelerated growth strategy, consolidating the leading position of CMS Reich-Rohrwig Hainz in accordance with the company’s goal to emerge as one of the top three law firms in Austria and Southeast Europe.
- In November 2008 the firms, CMS Bureau Francis Lefebvre, CMS Cameron McKenna and CMS Hasche Sigle have merged their Moscow operations and operate under the name CMS, as of 1 January 2009. This merger creates one of the most experienced and largest international law firms in Russia with over 130 lawyers, including 22 partners.
- In 2012, Rui Pena & Arnaut (RPA) became a CMS member. CMS RPA is a full service Portuguese law firm with over 45 years of experience, headquartered in Lisbon.
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