[8][9] Dubbed as the oldest firm within the Magic Circle,[10] Freshfields' origins arguably go back to around 1716, when Thomas Woodford began to practise law.

[12] In 1788, Winter and Kaye began advising Sir Richard Arkwright, inventor of the water frame.

[28] In September 2020, Freshfields announced Georgia Dawson as its new senior partner after time leading the firm's Asia operations.

[33] Georgia Dawson, a Freshfields senior partner, indicated in 2024 that the firm is looking to expand its presence in the United States amid a surge in revenue.

Since the most recent rebranding in 2024, the emblem has been repositioned away from the commercial side of the business and is now primarily associated with internal sports teams and similar purposes.

In 2019, the firm faced questioning by the Solicitors Regulation Authority over its review into how UBS dealt with a rape complaint.

In particular, the firm's name founder, James William Freshfield, financially benefited from slavery by acting as a trustee and owner-in-fee for several slave-owners.