Bird & Bird
Bird & Bird is an international law firm headquartered in London, known particularly for technology, intellectual property, telecommunications, data protection and other complex cross-border legal work.
Last updated September 23, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Bird & Bird is an international commercial law firm whose roots extend to the nineteenth century and whose formal establishment in the United Kingdom dates to 1846. The firm is headquartered in London and operates internationally under the Bird & Bird name, with twobirds.com serving as its principal web and communications domain. Its development has been closely associated with sectors in which regulation, intellectual property, technology and cross-border transactions are central to business strategy. The firm advises companies, investors and public-sector clients across a broad range of legal disciplines. Its practices include banking and finance, commercial law, competition and European Union law, corporate transactions, dispute resolution, intellectual property, privacy and data protection, and real estate. It combines advisory, transactional and contentious services, allowing it to support clients during routine operations as well as in major investments, disputes, regulatory matters and technology-driven transformations. Bird & Bird has built a particularly strong market identity around technology and communications-related work. Its sector coverage includes automotive; aviation and defence; energy and utilities; financial services; life sciences and healthcare; retail and consumer markets; media, entertainment and sport; and technology and communications. This sector-led approach reflects the firm’s international expansion and its focus on industries where digital systems, patents, data, software, communications infrastructure and changing regulation intersect. The firm’s international network expanded substantially from the beginning of the 2000s. It established offices in France and Sweden in 2000, followed by the Netherlands in 2001 and Germany in 2002. Further growth brought offices in Italy, China, Spain and additional German locations, while later mergers and combinations strengthened its presence in Finland, Central and Eastern Europe, the Nordic region and Australia. In 2018, Bird & Bird added a hub office in Amsterdam and a representative office in San Francisco, marking its first office presence in the United States. According to the supplied reference material, Bird & Bird has more than 1,600 lawyers and legal practitioners working across 34 offices. Its listed locations include major European legal and commercial centres as well as offices in the Middle East, Asia-Pacific and North America. The firm’s international model also includes cooperation arrangements in selected jurisdictions where it does not necessarily operate through a wholly owned office. Bird & Bird is recognised by legal directories including The Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners. The supplied 2026 directory references describe Tier 1 Legal 500 recognition in artificial intelligence, patent-related intellectual property, information technology and telecommunications, and data protection, privacy and cybersecurity. The same material states that Chambers and Partners’ Europe 2026 edition ranked the firm in 82 departments and recognised 121 individuals, including Europe-wide Band 1 positions in data protection, intellectual property, information technology and telecommunications. These recognitions reinforce the firm’s positioning as an international, sector-focused law practice with particular depth in technology-intensive and regulated industries.
History
Bird & Bird traces its origins to legal practice in London in the nineteenth century, with the firm formally established in the United Kingdom in 1846. London remains its global headquarters. Although the available reference material does not identify the original founders or provide a continuous account of the firm’s early Victorian-era development, it establishes the long historical base from which Bird & Bird later developed into an international commercial law practice. The firm’s modern internationalisation accelerated in the 2000s. In 2000 it opened offices in France and Sweden, extending beyond its United Kingdom base into continental Europe and the Nordic region. A Netherlands office followed in 2001, and the firm entered Germany in 2002. Expansion continued in 2003 with an office in Italy and a second German location. By 2004, the partnership had reached 100 partners, a milestone indicating the scale of its growing international platform. The same period also brought the firm’s first office in Beijing. In 2005, Bird & Bird added offices in Madrid, Rome and Frankfurt. A further French location opened in Lyon in 2006. The firm continued building its Central and Eastern European network in 2008, when it entered Finland through a merger with Fennica and added offices in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. It also opened a Shanghai office, giving it a third location in China. In London, the firm’s expansion continued through a merger with Lane & Partners. Bird & Bird’s Nordic coverage was strengthened in May 2013 through a merger with Danish firm BvHD. During the same year, it entered into an international cooperation agreement with BCCC Avocats in Switzerland. These arrangements formed part of a broader approach that combined directly operated offices with formal relationships in jurisdictions where local expertise was strategically important. In November 2014, Bird & Bird merged with Australian new-economy specialist firm Truman Hoyle. The transaction created the firm’s first Australian office and expanded its Asia-Pacific footprint to five offices, alongside cooperation arrangements in Malaysia, China, Indonesia and Korea. The combination was consistent with Bird & Bird’s established focus on technology, communications and other industries shaped by innovation and regulatory change. In 2018, the firm opened a new hub office in Amsterdam and established a representative office in central San Francisco, its first office presence in the United States. These additions broadened the firm’s ability to serve clients across Europe and the North American technology market. Bird & Bird now presents itself as a global law firm with more than 1,600 lawyers and legal practitioners across 34 offices. Its international practice covers corporate, commercial, finance, competition, intellectual property, privacy, disputes and real estate, supported by sector teams serving automotive, aviation and defence, energy and utilities, financial services, life sciences and healthcare, retail and consumer, media and entertainment, sport, and technology and communications. Directory recognition cited in the available material places particular emphasis on artificial intelligence, patents, IT, telecommunications, data protection, privacy and cybersecurity. The firm’s history therefore combines nineteenth-century London origins with a sustained strategy of international expansion, mergers, cooperation agreements and specialisation in technology-led and regulated sectors.
- 2018
Amsterdam hub and San Francisco representative office
[1]Bird & Bird added a hub office in Amsterdam and opened a representative office in San Francisco, its first office presence in the United States.
- 2014
Australian expansion through Truman Hoyle merger
[1]The merger with Australian new-economy law firm Truman Hoyle created Bird & Bird’s first Australian office and expanded its Asia-Pacific network.
- 2013
Nordic and Swiss coverage strengthened
[1]Bird & Bird merged with Danish firm BvHD and signed an international cooperation agreement with BCCC Avocats in Switzerland.
- 2008
Central European and Asian network accelerated
[1]The firm entered Finland through a merger with Fennica, opened offices in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia, added a Shanghai office and expanded in London through a merger with Lane & Partners.
- 2004
Partnership reached 100 partners
[1]Bird & Bird reached 100 partners and opened its first office in Beijing.
- 2002
Entry into Germany
[1]The firm opened its first German office, beginning a broader German presence that later included additional locations.
- 2001
Netherlands office opened
[1]Bird & Bird extended its continental European network with an office in the Netherlands.
- 2000
Initial modern European expansion
[1]The firm opened offices in France and Sweden as it began a major phase of international expansion.
- 1846
Formal establishment in the United Kingdom
[1]Bird & Bird was formally established in the United Kingdom, with London becoming and remaining its global headquarters.
Products and positioning
An international, sector-focused commercial law firm positioned around technology-intensive, highly regulated and cross-border industries. Its strongest stated areas include technology and communications, intellectual property, artificial intelligence, data protection, privacy and cybersecurity.
Legal practice
Technology, Media and Telecommunications
Bird & Bird advises businesses operating in technology, communications, media and related digital markets. The practice supports commercial arrangements, technology transactions, telecommunications regulation, outsourcing, digital products and disputes. It is central to the firm’s sector identity and connects legal advice with rapidly changing regulation, infrastructure and intellectual property issues.
Legal practice
Intellectual Property
The intellectual property practice covers the protection, exploitation and enforcement of rights such as patents and other technology-related intellectual property. The firm’s directory recognition includes patent-related intellectual property, reflecting the importance of innovation-heavy sectors such as life sciences, automotive, software, communications and consumer technology.
Legal practice
Privacy, Data Protection and Cybersecurity
This practice helps organisations address data governance, privacy compliance, cybersecurity obligations and regulatory risk across jurisdictions. It supports both day-to-day advisory needs and contentious or incident-related matters. Data protection, privacy and cybersecurity are identified among the firm’s strongest areas in the supplied legal-directory references.
Legal practice
Corporate and Commercial
Bird & Bird provides corporate and commercial advice for transactions, strategic projects, partnerships and ongoing business operations. Its cross-border platform enables work involving multiple legal systems and is particularly relevant to clients in regulated or technology-dependent industries.
Legal practice
Dispute Resolution
The dispute resolution offering covers contentious commercial matters and related proceedings. It forms part of the firm’s broader ability to advise clients through both preventive legal strategy and formal disputes, including matters involving intellectual property, technology, commercial contracts and regulated sectors.
Brand decisions
2018
Amsterdam hub and United States entryStrategyBackground
The firm continued to develop a network capable of supporting international clients in European and North American technology markets.
Action taken
Bird & Bird established a new hub office in Amsterdam and opened a representative office in San Francisco.
Aftermath
The additions strengthened the firm’s European operating structure and gave it an initial office presence in the United States.
2014
Merger with Truman HoyleM&ABackground
Bird & Bird was extending its presence in Asia-Pacific and targeting the Australian market’s technology and new-economy legal work.
Action taken
The firm merged with Australian specialist law firm Truman Hoyle.
Aftermath
The merger created Bird & Bird’s first Australian office and increased its Asia-Pacific presence to five offices, alongside cooperation arrangements in several other markets.
2013
Merger with Danish firm BvHDM&ABackground
Bird & Bird sought to strengthen its Nordic coverage through a local combination.
Action taken
The firm merged with Danish outfit BvHD and separately established a cooperation agreement with BCCC Avocats in Switzerland.
Aftermath
The move completed a stronger Nordic presence while the Swiss cooperation arrangement extended the firm’s international coverage.
2008
Expansion through the Fennica and Lane & Partners combinationsM&ABackground
Bird & Bird was expanding its international office network and seeking greater coverage in the Nordic, Central European, Chinese and London markets.
Action taken
The firm merged with Finnish firm Fennica, opened several Central European offices and a Shanghai office, and expanded in London through a merger with Lane & Partners.
Aftermath
The transactions and openings broadened Bird & Bird’s European and Asian platform and supported its international growth strategy.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/bird-and-bird · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled