Arnold & Porter

Arnold & Porter is an international law firm headquartered in Washington, D.C. Its practice combines litigation, regulatory and administrative law, investigations, transactions, intellectual property, life sciences work, public policy, and other specialized legal services. The firm serves corporations, financial institutions, universities, healthcare organizations, governments, and individual clients in matters that often involve substantial regulatory, scientific, technical, or public-interest dimensions. The firm was established in Washington in 1946 and developed a reputation for sophisticated litigation and public law work. Its history is associated with prominent lawyers and major matters involving constitutional issues, government regulation, antitrust, product liability, healthcare, and complex commercial disputes. The firm has also maintained a significant presence in public policy and government-facing practices, reflecting its Washington roots. Arnold & Porter expanded beyond its original Washington base through offices in major U.S. markets and selected international locations. Its work is organized around legal practices rather than consumer products: clients typically engage the firm for advice, representation, investigations, negotiations, advocacy before government agencies, and litigation in domestic and cross-border matters. The firm’s sector capabilities include life sciences and healthcare, financial services, energy, technology, defense and aerospace, higher education, and consumer products. In 2017, Arnold & Porter combined with Kaye Scholer, creating the Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer firm. The combination broadened the organization’s transactional, intellectual-property, life-sciences, financial-services, and international capabilities while preserving the Arnold & Porter name as the principal public-facing brand. The firm continues to operate as a legal partnership rather than a publicly traded company. Its present positioning is that of a full-service firm handling high-value, complex, and frequently regulated matters for institutional clients and individuals.

Arnold & Porter was founded in Washington, D.C., in 1946 and developed within the legal environment of the U.S. capital, where disputes involving federal agencies, constitutional questions, regulated industries, and public policy formed an important part of the market. The firm’s early identity was shaped by lawyers who combined courtroom practice with public-law experience. Over time, it became known for handling difficult litigation and matters in which legal strategy required a detailed understanding of government institutions, scientific evidence, technical issues, or broader policy consequences. During the second half of the twentieth century, the firm broadened from its Washington base into a more diversified national practice. Its work came to encompass commercial disputes, antitrust, products liability, healthcare, environmental matters, intellectual property, corporate transactions, securities, tax, and government investigations. The firm’s client base similarly expanded to include major companies, financial institutions, universities, healthcare organizations, and public-sector entities. Its Washington heritage continued to influence the development of practices focused on administrative law, regulatory compliance, congressional investigations, enforcement proceedings, and public policy. Arnold & Porter also built substantial sector experience in life sciences and healthcare. These practices address legal issues arising across the development, approval, manufacture, financing, commercialization, and defense of pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical-device, and healthcare businesses. The firm’s regulatory orientation has supported related work in food and drug law, healthcare enforcement, intellectual property, product liability, and complex commercial litigation. The firm expanded internationally through offices and cross-border capabilities serving clients with matters connected to Europe and Asia, while remaining a U.S.-rooted partnership. Rather than functioning as a consumer-facing brand, Arnold & Porter operates through professional teams organized by legal practice and industry sector. Its services are delivered through advice, advocacy, negotiations, investigations, transactional support, and representation before courts and government bodies. A major turning point came in 2017, when Arnold & Porter combined with Kaye Scholer. The resulting organization adopted the name Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer and gained broader capabilities in corporate transactions, intellectual property, life sciences, financial services, and international matters. The combination was intended to give clients a larger platform while retaining the established strengths of both firms. Arnold & Porter remains active as a private legal partnership and continues to market a full-service offering centered on complex disputes, regulation, investigations, transactions, public policy, and specialized industry work.

• 2017

  Combination with Kaye Scholer

  [1]Arnold & Porter official firm informationarnoldporter.com

  Arnold & Porter combined with Kaye Scholer to form Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer, broadening the firm’s geographic reach and capabilities in transactions, intellectual property, life sciences, financial services, and related areas.

• 1946

  Firm founded in Washington, D.C.

  [1]Arnold & Porter official firm informationarnoldporter.com

  Arnold & Porter was established in Washington, D.C., beginning a practice that would become associated with complex litigation, public law, and regulatory matters.

A full-service, institutionally oriented law firm positioned around complex litigation, regulatory counseling, investigations, public policy, transactions, and sector-specific legal work, especially in highly regulated industries.

• Legal services

  Litigation and dispute resolution

  The firm represents clients in complex civil litigation, appellate matters, commercial disputes, product liability cases, antitrust proceedings, intellectual-property disputes, and other high-stakes controversies. Its work may include trial strategy, motion practice, appeals, arbitration, internal investigations, and coordinated defense of litigation involving multiple jurisdictions or technical subject matter.

• Legal services

  Regulatory and administrative law

  Arnold & Porter advises businesses and institutions on federal and state regulation, agency proceedings, compliance programs, rulemaking, enforcement risk, and judicial review. The practice reflects the firm’s Washington heritage and supports clients operating in sectors such as healthcare, energy, financial services, technology, defense, and life sciences.

• Legal services

  Government investigations and enforcement

  The firm represents companies, executives, boards, and institutions in investigations and enforcement matters involving government agencies, prosecutors, inspectors general, and legislative bodies. Services can include responding to subpoenas, conducting internal investigations, advising on disclosure, defending enforcement proceedings, and managing related civil or criminal exposure.

• Legal services

  Corporate and transactional services

  The corporate practice advises clients on mergers and acquisitions, private equity, securities, financings, joint ventures, governance, commercial arrangements, and other business transactions. The practice is integrated with the firm’s regulatory, tax, antitrust, intellectual-property, and industry-specific capabilities for transactions in regulated or technically complex markets.

• Industry-focused legal services

  Life sciences and healthcare

  Arnold & Porter advises pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical-device, healthcare, and related organizations across product development, approval, commercialization, compliance, transactions, intellectual property, investigations, and litigation. The offering draws together regulatory, scientific, commercial, antitrust, and product-liability capabilities.

• Legal services

  Intellectual property

  The firm handles intellectual-property counseling, prosecution, licensing, transactions, and disputes involving patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, and technology. Its intellectual-property work is particularly relevant to life sciences, technology, consumer products, and other businesses whose value depends on technical or creative assets.

• Legal and policy services

  Public policy and government relations

  The firm assists clients with public-policy strategy, legislative and executive-branch engagement, regulatory advocacy, congressional matters, and communications involving government decision-making. This offering complements its legal practices in administrative law, investigations, healthcare, energy, financial services, and other regulated fields.

• 2017

  Combination with Kaye ScholerM&A

  Background

  Arnold & Porter and Kaye Scholer pursued a combination to create a broader full-service platform with complementary strengths in litigation, transactions, intellectual property, life sciences, financial services, and international work.

  Action taken

  The firms combined and operated under the Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer name.

  Aftermath

  The combination expanded the firm’s capabilities and geographic platform while maintaining Arnold & Porter as a central brand identity.

  Source

1. 1Arnold & Porter official firm informationarnoldporter.com
2. 2Arnold & Porter official websitearnoldporter.com