Squire Sanders‘ merger talks partner Patton Boggs has been approached with an offer to combine from top 50 Global 100 firm Dentons.
A Dentons spokesperson said this morning (2 April): ‘We can confirm that Dentons has made a serious overture to Patton Boggs leadership about a combination to form a new firm together. We hold Patton Boggs and its lawyers and professionals in high regard, and our interest in conversations between our firms and partners remains high.’
Washington-based Patton Boggs and top 40 Global 100 firm Squire Sanders confirmed they were in preliminary merger talks in late February, with a view to creating a 1,700-lawyer firm with 45 offices across 22 countries.
Both stressed at the time that discussions were in ‘very early stages’ and there was ‘no assurance’ that a combination would be completed.
However at the end of March the US legal press and Wall Street Journal reported that the talks were edging closer.
Meanwhile, Dentons’ previous attempts to bulk up its US presence includes failed merger discussions with McKenna Long & Aldridge late last year. Both firms confirmed the talks in late September, while a later partner vote scheduled in November voted against the union. If it had gone through it would have created a firm with around 3,100 lawyers globally.
Patton Boggs is a leading public policy and lobbying firm with nine offices and a tie-up with the Washington firm would give either Squire Sanders or Dentons strong positions across Dallas, Denver and Anchorage, as well as a network of offices in the Middle East.
The talks come months after the collapse of merger talks between Texas-based Locke Lord and Patton Boggs, which last year reported a 12% decline in revenue alongside an exodus of partners and the closure of its Newark office.
Squire Sanders did not respond to requests for comment at the time of writing.
Sarah.downey@legalease.co.uk
