Chambers Band 1 · Est. 1987 · Six Offices
Advising boards, executives, and companies through the proceedings where the outcome of a single decision defines what follows.
"We retained Hargrove on our most sensitive M&A matter. Their read of the regulatory landscape was a year ahead of everyone else."
Richard T. General Counsel — Fortune 500 Financial Services
Practice Areas
Mergers & Acquisitions
Complex acquisitions, divestitures, and joint ventures where timing, regulatory exposure, and counterparty risk must be controlled simultaneously — not sequentially. We have been at the table when the antitrust clock, the financing condition, and the board deadline run in parallel.
Explore M&A AdvisoryWhite-Collar Defense & Regulatory
Commercial Litigation
Cross-Border Advisory
Facing a situation that crosses these lines? Most do. Tell us what you are navigating →
Our Track Record
4,200+Matters completed across six practice groups since 1987
Years in continuous practice
Of clients retained us again for every significant matter that followed
Offices: New York · London · DC · Hong Kong · Singapore · Dubai
Representative Matters
Matter details generalized to protect client confidentiality.
M&A Advisory
A publicly traded financial services company facing hostile acquisition interest with antitrust exposure in three jurisdictions and a 14-day window before mandatory public disclosure.
Parallel regulatory review timelines across three jurisdictions, competing financial advisors, and a board under pressure to accept the first offer on the table.
Outcome
Transaction completed across all three jurisdictions. Regulatory review concluded without remedies. Timeline held.
White-Collar Defense
Technology executive under DOJ investigation for alleged FCPA violations in two markets, with parallel civil and criminal exposure over 22 months.
Investigation concluded without charges. No debarment proceedings initiated.
→Commercial Litigation
Manufacturing company disputing a $340M breach-of-contract claim in an adverse jurisdiction, with trial date set within 18 months of filing.
Favorable verdict at trial. Damages: zero. Opposing appeal dismissed.
→
James R. Hargrove III
Founding Partner · Corporate Advisory & M&A
The Counsel
Counsel with conviction.
James R. Hargrove III
"The transactions that matter most are the ones where the other side has already figured out what you need — and made sure you cannot get it another way."
Katherine M. Ellsworth
"Responding to a government inquiry is not a defensive act. It is a strategic one. Every word, every deadline is a decision — and it compounds."
David A. Park
"Settlement is a tool, not a destination. Clients who know their counsel will go to trial receive better outcomes before trial begins."
In Their Words
"Hargrove managed our $1.8B acquisition without a single timeline slip and without a single surprise we had not already discussed."
Caroline M.
Chief Legal Officer — Industrial Corporation
"Their read of the regulatory landscape was a year ahead of everyone else in the room. That lead time is what kept us out of enforcement proceedings."
Richard T.
General Counsel — Fortune 500 Financial Services
"We were mid-proceeding with outside counsel already retained. Hargrove came in, assessed the situation in seventy-two hours, and restructured our entire defense posture."
Board Member
Publicly Traded Technology Company
Our Method
Every engagement begins with a partner-led assessment. We establish the situation, the exposure, and the realistic range of outcomes — before you decide whether to engage us.
Before any action is taken, we build a complete strategic map — jurisdiction, counterparty position, regulatory landscape, and decision timeline. You understand our thinking before we execute.
We move with precision and without theatre. Every step is communicated before it happens. The outcome we pursue is the outcome we defined in Case Architecture — not a revised version of it.
Common Questions
Every consultation at Hargrove is conducted by a partner. If the matter is time-sensitive, we can arrange an initial call within 24 hours.
All initial consultations are conducted by a partner with direct responsibility for your practice area. For time-sensitive matters we can typically arrange an initial call within 24 to 48 hours. Our intake team confirms same day.
Our six offices cover the jurisdictions where most cross-border matters concentrate. For matters requiring local counsel elsewhere, we coordinate that relationship directly across dozens of multi-jurisdiction engagements.
No. We regularly enter matters already in motion — as lead counsel, specialist counsel, or co-counsel. The transition is managed without disruption, including in situations already in active proceedings.
After the initial consultation, we prepare a matter assessment — our read of the situation, proposed strategy, and engagement terms. You receive this before a retainer agreement. You should understand our thinking before deciding to engage.
Begin the Conversation
The situations most difficult to navigate are the ones managed reactively. Tell us what you are facing — in confidence.
