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Hartwell & Rao
Partner holding case files in the firm's New York office

Partner-led counsel · Est. 2004

Counsel for the decisions that define your company

Boards, founders and institutions bring us the matters they cannot afford to get wrong. Every mandate is led by a partner, start to finish.

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Partners
62
Financial centres
4
Transactions advised, 2025
$38B
Partner reply, guaranteed
24h

Advising leadership teams at category-defining companies

Imagine AI, Orion, Shape, Artemis, Base, Atlas, Question

Why Hartwell & Rao

A law firm that runs like the companies it advises

Senior judgment, predictable economics and full visibility into your matter — the standard our clients expect from every other partner they work with.

Partner-led, from first call to close

Every engagement is run by a named partner who stays on it end to end. No hand-offs after the pitch.

Lead partner briefing clients on a matter
Elena MarshPartner · LitigationLead partner, start to finish

Transparent economics

Fixed and capped fees on most mandates, agreed before work begins.

Fixed fee64%
Capped fee27%
Hourly9%

Share of 2026 mandates by fee model

One team, four time zones

Lawyers in four financial centres work a single plan — your matter never sleeps.

  • New York300 Park Avenue--:--
  • London1 Bishopsgate--:--
  • DubaiGate Village, DIFC--:--
  • SingaporeMarina Bay Financial Centre--:--

Answers within one business day

Every enquiry is reviewed by a partner, with a reply inside 24 hours.

3.2hrs

Median partner response, last 12 months

A secure client portal

Live status, documents and billing in one place — encrypted end to end.

  • Share purchase agreement v14Signed · 2h agoSigned
  • Merger control filing — EUIn review · PartnerReview
  • Disclosure letterDraft · Due FriDraft
How we work

A clear path from first call to resolution

The same four-stage process on every mandate, so you always know where things stand and what happens next.

Partner reviewing a matter file at her desk

Weekly matter report — Delivered every Friday at 9:00 local time.

  • Progress
  • Risks
  • Next steps
  • Spend vs. budget
  1. 01Day 1

    Confidential consultation

    A partner reviews your matter, runs conflicts and calls you back within one business day.

  2. 02Week 1

    Strategy & scope

    We map the commercial outcome first, then agree the legal path, team and fee model.

  3. 03Ongoing

    Execution

    One integrated team across offices, with weekly reporting through your client portal.

  4. 04Close

    Resolution & review

    We close, document what we learned and stay on call for what comes next.

Practices

Depth across every matter that moves the business

Integrated teams that move between the boardroom, the courtroom and the regulator without losing a step.

Talk to a practice lead
Results

Outcomes that speak for themselves

Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

$120B+Aggregate transaction value advised
1,400+Matters resolved across 38 jurisdictions
94%Of clients return for a second mandate
62Partners, each leading matters personally

Representative matters

PracticeMatterOutcomeYear
M&A2026Cross-border acquisition of a European logistics group$8.4B
Litigation2025Defence of a technology platform in a nationwide class actionDismissed
Arbitration2025Award for an infrastructure investor in an ICC proceeding$1.2B
Capital Markets2024Initial public offering for a payments infrastructure company$2.1B
Private Wealth2024Restructuring of a multi-jurisdiction family trust3 generations
Client perspective

Trusted when the stakes are highest

Attributed by role to preserve client confidentiality.

  • “They thought three moves ahead of everyone else at the table — including us. The deal closed a quarter early and without a single surprise.”
    Chief Executive OfficerGlobal logistics group
  • “In a matter that could have defined our company, the partner leading it was on every call. That is rare at any firm, and unheard of at this level.”
    General CounselListed technology company
  • “Their arbitration team found the argument that mattered in the first week and never let go of it.”
    Managing DirectorInfrastructure fund
  • “Fixed fees, weekly updates and no surprises on the invoice. It is the first firm our CFO has actively asked us to use more.”
    VP, LegalPayments infrastructure company
  • “Four offices, one plan. We had regulators in three jurisdictions and never once felt like we were talking to different firms.”
    Chief Legal OfficerEuropean industrial group
  • “Calm, precise and always available. Exactly who you want in the room when the board is watching.”
    Founder & ChairFamily-owned holding company
Leadership

The partners who lead your matter

62 partners across four offices. Every one of them leads matters personally.

View all partners
  • Portrait of Jonathan HartwellNew York

    Jonathan Hartwell

    Founding Partner, Corporate

  • Portrait of Elena MarshLondon

    Elena Marsh

    Partner, Litigation

  • Portrait of Kenji AraiSingapore

    Kenji Arai

    Partner, Arbitration

  • Careers

    Join 180+ lawyers

    We hire for judgment, not hours. See open roles across our four offices.

    Careers

FAQ

Questions, answered

Can't find what you're looking for? Our intake team replies within one business day.

Contact intake

  • Every enquiry is reviewed by a partner within one business day. For urgent matters — injunctions, regulatory dawn raids, live transactions — we can typically have a partner on the phone within hours.

New enquiries

Speak with a partner this week

Tell us about your matter. A partner will review it and respond within one business day — in complete confidence.

Book a consultation+1 (212) 000-0000
  • Confidential from the first call
  • Conflict check within 24 hours
  • Fixed-fee options available
Email
counsel@hartwellrao.com
New York
+1 (212) 000-0000
London
+44 20 0000 0000
Dubai
+971 4 000 0000
Singapore
+65 0000 0000