Litigation tracker: Dentons, Squires and Reed Smith most active US firms in court

Dentons was the most active international firm in English courts between 2015 and the first three quarters of 2016, according to data compiled by The Lawyer.

The firm spent 77 hearing days across English courts, while second place Reed Smith spent 74 days.

Squire Patton Boggs, which ranked in third place, spent 55 days in court followed by Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, which spent 53 days. Jones Day completes the top five ranking with a total of 42 hearing days.

These rankings are based on recorded judgments tracked in The Lawyer Litigation Tracker, a live database of more than 6,000 recorded judgments in English and Singaporean courts.

The Lawyer Litigation Tracker includes 270 recorded judgments involving international firms, defined as having their headquarters outside the UK.

Dentons takes the top spot having been instructed on 36 occasions, the most of any international firm. The longest case the firm advised on was a 10-day case in the Queen’s Bench Division (QBD), in which the firm successfully represented private bank Coutts against a negligence action brought by private investors.

According to the live database, the firm spent 32 of its 77 days in the Chancery Division of the High Court including a total of 12 days representing RBS. The firm also spent 15 days in the QBD and nine days in the Technology and Construction Court.

Second-ranked Reed Smith was called upon on 34 occasions. The firm spent 47 of its 74 days representing a number of banking and financial clients in the Commercial Court, including 11 days advising Piraeus Bank in a claim against a number of Lloyd’s of London insurers.

Third-placed Squire Patton Boggs spent 55 days working across 35 cases. 18 days were spent by the firm representing clients in the Chancery Division and seven days in the QBD. The firm also spent one day in the Supreme Court.

A total of 38 international firms, including Baker McKenzie, Cleary. Debevoise, Dechert, Gibson Dunn, K&L Gates, Mayer Brown, Sidley Austin, Steptoe & Johnson and Weil Gotshal, made appearances in English courts between 2015 and the first three quarters of 2016, amassing a total of 765 hearing days.

The Commercial Division was where international firms made the most appearances, followed by the Chancery Division and the Civil Division of the Court of Appeal.