Better together? – Those Anglo-Scots unions in focus

Legal Business looks under the bonnet to assess how the Scottish arms of Pinsent Masons and CMS have fared post-merger.

The ‘Better Together’ campaign, in favour of preserving Scotland’s union with the UK in 2014, maintained that Scotland was stronger as part of Great Britain, winning that particular argument by a margin of around 11%. But while the battle may have been won for now, a number of Scottish law firms are still wrestling with the decision of whether to tie-up with an English suitor – a fact most recently indicated by Maclay Murray & Spens’ aborted merger talks with Addleshaw Goddard in February.

Continue reading “Better together? – Those Anglo-Scots unions in focus”

American dream: Addleshaws eyes US play with Hunton & Williams merger talks

After failing to secure further consolidation in the UK recently, Addleshaw Goddard has turned to the US for a potential merger partner to achieve its aim of becoming a £250m-lawyer firm, and is believed to be in talks with Virginia-based Hunton & Williams.

Continue reading “American dream: Addleshaws eyes US play with Hunton & Williams merger talks”

HSF leaders plot China launch and US merger amid new strategy

‘Could we have a 1,000 lawyers in China? We could,’ Herbert Smith Freehills‘ (HSF) co-chief executive Mark Rigotti said. ‘But that would be accessing a different client base. A thousand lawyers would be overcooking it. I would like 100 lawyers as then you get cultural and client alignment between high quality local and cross border. Would 100 lawyers in China by 2025 be feasible? Yes.’

Continue reading “HSF leaders plot China launch and US merger amid new strategy”

‘Not enough common ground’ – BLP and Greenberg call off transatlantic merger bid

It promised to create a property and disputes giant across the Atlantic and one of the most distinctive law firms in the global market but in the end the mooted union between Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) and Greenberg Traurig has been called off.

Continue reading “‘Not enough common ground’ – BLP and Greenberg call off transatlantic merger bid”

Comment: Merging BLP and Greenberg Traurig – unique, compelling, bloody difficult

In the age of the anodyne corporate law firm, you can at least say a marriage of Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) and Greenberg Traurig would be a distinct beast. If the talks are successful, it would be the first major international deal built on the foundation of real estate.

Continue reading “Comment: Merging BLP and Greenberg Traurig – unique, compelling, bloody difficult”

Legal freelancing enters the big league as LOD seals £25m merger with Australian firm

In the largest New Law merger to date, the UK’s biggest freelance lawyer service Lawyers On Demand (LOD) has sealed a deal with Australia’s AdventBalance to create a £25m business.

Revenue at LOD rose by 42% in the 2014/15 financial year to hit £12.3m and, with the merger doubling turnover, the deal is set to catapult LOD into the UK’s 100 largest legal services businesses, pulling in more than established law firms such as Harbottle & Lewis and Boodle Hatfield, less than a decade since its launch.

Continue reading “Legal freelancing enters the big league as LOD seals £25m merger with Australian firm”