The history of Hammonds LLP dates back to to the late 19th century.

Albert Victor Hammond qualified as a solicitor in 1887 and set up in practice on his own in Bradford in the same year. The practice expanded steadily over the years and in 1988 merged with another Bradford law firm, Last Suddards. The merged firm was called Hammond Suddards.

Hammond Suddards rapidly became a force to be reckoned with in the Yorkshire legal market and began to concentrate entirely on commercial law following its move to Leeds. The Hammond Suddards name was associated with many of the high profile deals during the 1980s and 1990s, when many privately owned businesses in the region were floated on the London Stock Exchange and went on to undertake mergers and acquisitions.

It was at this time that Hammond Suddards' partners began to look at the possibility of international expansion. In 1990, Hammond Suddards became the first law firm outside London to open a substantial office in Brussels. A year later the London office was opened and by 1993 the firm also had a presence in Manchester.

The new offices expanded rapidly, creating a major capability in the City of London that established Hammond Suddards as a significant player in one of the world's most important financial centres. The Brussels office also enjoyed dynamic growth and developed expertise that resulted in the firm often being instructed by the EC itself on major trade and competition issues.

Hammond Suddards had always prided itself on its dynamic organic growth, but by the late 1990s it became clear that the market for commercial legal services would be dominated by larger firms. Having its roots in the UK's industrial heartland of the Midlands, edge ellison had also developed a strong London practice, acting for major corporate clients. At the turn of the new century, Hammond Suddards and edge ellison merged to become Hammond Suddards Edge. An increasing number of the firm's clients were operating on a global or pan-European basis so the Hammond Suddards Edge partners began to develop a strategy aimed at catering for their growing international needs.

The firm's international strategy gathered pace in April 2001, when Hammond Suddards Edge recruited a team of lawyers from national German firm Knauthe Paul Schmitt, setting up offices in Berlin and Munich. A month later a merger was announced with the Paris based firm Hausmann & Associés and in December of that year, an office was opened in Hong Kong under the name of Li Brandt & Co.

In 2002 the firm established a relationship with Rossotto e Associati, with offices in Turin, Milan, Rome and Aosta, a relationship which continues today although in September 2009 Rossotto e Associati became R&P Legal - Rossotto Colombatto & Partners.

In 2003, the European equation was completed when the Madrid office of Dutch firm NautaDutilh was acquired by Hammonds. A joint venture was also established in Russia with Moscow based firm Zhigachov & Christophoroff.

Hammonds now practises in the UK, Belgium, Spain, Germany, France and China. In May 2008, the firm converted to a Limited Liability Partnership (LLP). The LLP includes the firm's offices in the UK, Belgium, Spain and Germany. The affiliated undertakings include Hammonds Hausmann in France, and Hammonds, a Hong Kong general partnership, each of which are separate and distinct entities. In September 2009, Rossotto e Associati became R&P Legal - Rossotto Colombatto & Partners who practice in association with Hammonds LLP.