Celebrating 200 years of Ashurst
Ashurst: established 1822
We celebrated 200 years of Ashurst in 2022 and we are looking forward to the next 200!
Imagine what our London founder William Henry Ashurst would think if he could see the firm today. He and his family championed progressive ideas so he would not be surprised to see the global reach, our deep relationships with our clients, nor the changes in legal practice and technology. He would be proud of our focus on pro bono and CSR.
Our history also has deep roots in Australia. In the past decade the most important story in our history was the full integration of Ashurst and Australian firm Blake Dawson in 2013, bringing together two exceptional law firms of similar tradition, size and culture and with complementary sectors of focus. Together, we created one team, one name and one brand from the outset, paving the way to becoming a premier global law firms.
Looking to the future, our clients benefit from our global experience and expertise with in-depth knowledge of key industries. Our innovative approach has already brought law and technology together in our Ashurst Advance practice. To serve our clients holistically, we are growing our risk consultancy and board advisory practices.
Our talented lawyers focus on solutions for our clients. We work with global corporations, financial institutions and governments to contribute to the building of industries and nations, the development of legal and business reforms, and to support our communities across the globe.
We were proud to launch our purpose as part of our celebrations:
And we are excited to see what the future will bring.
Read more about our extraordinary impact, people and achievements in our two books published to celebrate our 200th anniversary, which are outlined below.
"I am honoured to be leading the firm with Karen Davies, our Chair. With our current leadership team in place, and with Ashurst's extraordinary partners and staff around the world, the firm is well positioned to embark on our third century."
Paul Jenkins Global Chief Executive Officer
Extraordinary impact
Ashurst: The story of a progressive global law firm – the first 200 years
This book about the history of our firm was written by Professor Stuart Kells
Kells notes that "The story of Ashurst is the story of a modern law firm, and in many ways it is the story of modern law, modern society and modern commerce."
Read more about our book: Ashurst: A story of a progressive global law firm – The first 200 years and view an interactive timeline of our history here.
Extraordinary people
What is it that makes Ashurst exceptional? The answer we keep hearing is “our people”. It is our people, both past and present, who live our values and embody our culture and together make up Ashurst.
Extraordinary legacy
Past and Present: Acknowledging our legacy through four initiatives
To celebrate 200 years of Ashurst in 2022 we worked on a way to honour our founder's legacy. William Henry Ashurst was a progressive advocate who was deeply committed to social justice, particularly women's equality and the abolition of slavery.
William's four daughters also poured their energy into the fight to abolish slavery and the fight to achieve equality for women. What William's daughters achieved in their lifetimes is remarkable and we have chosen to name four key initiatives after them, connecting our future efforts to the Ashurst family's historical work and paying a public tribute to four incredible women.
Read more about our Modern Slavery Action Plan, our four initiatives and how we plan to play a role in working to combat all forms of modern slavery, as a firm and together with our clients, colleagues and other stakeholders.
Find out more >
Find out more about our pro bono work >
Find out more about our social impact work >
