COMPANYHISTORIES
SIC 8111

Legal Services

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

5companies1866–1951founding years5still active0no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedMilbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy
1866
FoundedKing & Spalding
1885
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
FoundedSkadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
1948
FoundedBaker & McKenzie
1949
FoundedPaul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP
1951
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
1997
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy →
Active · founded 1866
With offices in New York City, London, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore, Moscow, and Washington, D.C., Milbank, Tweed,…
King & Spalding →
Active · founded 1885
King & Spalding is the largest law firm in Atlanta and one of the largest in the Southeast.
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom →
Active · founded 1948
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom stands as a monolith in the corporate environment, one of the two largest law…
Baker & McKenzie →
Active · founded 1949
Baker & McKenzie is the world's largest law firm, with 49 offices in 31 countries.
Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP →
Active · founded 1951
With over 630 attorneys in early 1999, Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP is a major international law firm…
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