The Integration of law into global business solutions: The role of the Big 4 in the reconfiguration of the global market for legal services

Despite regulatory reforms in Europe and the United States arising out of the 2001 financial crises that appeared to place severe restrictions on the ability of the international accountancy networks to offer nonauditing services to their audit clients, in recent years the legal service lines linked to the Big 4 (Deloitte, PWC, KPMG and EY) have not only not died, but have grown significantly in size and importance. Using a unique data set comprised of both original research of the websites of the Big 4 and their affiliated law firms, and publicly available data on legal transactions and lawyer mobility in a variety of markets, this Harvard Law School Program on the legal Profession original study conducted by David B. Wilkins and María José Esteban - documents what the Big 4 legal services lines have been doing since 2001; how these networks were able to achieve their current position in the global market for legal services; and reflects on the implications of their reemergence as major players in the market for legal services for clients, professionals, regulators, scholars and the public in general.