At the end of May, Herbert Smith Freehills’s executive partner for EMEA, UK and US flew to New York with a proposition. Alison Brown was preparing to present an opportunity to a firm that had come top of an HSF-commissioned external audit of the US market. It was a firm that had virtually no platform […]
Over a decade since Herbert Smith and Freehills tied the knot, the firm is on course for the next – and crucial – stage of its growth strategy, as it expands in the US. But what does the market think? By going to vote on its merger with US firm Kramer Levin, HSF looks set […]
Kramer Levin’s Paris office will not be included in the merger with Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) in order to focus on growth in the US. The news follows yesterday’s announcement that HSF is to merge with US law firm Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel to create a $2bn revenue firm that will be known as […]
Herbert Smith Freehills is set to merge with US firm Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel in a key strategic move to enhance its global coverage. Announced today, the merger creates a firm with over $2bn in revenue and will operate under a single profit pool. It will be called Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, with over […]
Hamlins has announced its acquisition of boutique practice Swan Turton to bulk up its media and tech practices. The deal marks what Hamlins hopes to be the first of a number of acquisitions, as it is actively considering others to pursue further growth after a number of years of modest upticks. The acquisition will take […]
The announced merger between South Coast firm Lester Aldridge and London’s Mackrell Solicitors has been called off at a late stage, The Lawyer can reveal. The two firms announced a tie-up in May, with the deal set to complete in September 2024. Lester Aldridge had a strong 2023/24, with revenue up 12 per cent from […]
Last week, A&O Shearman set out post-merger plans to close its legacy Allen & Overy base in Johannesburg, reduce its partnership by 10 per cent by the end of the financial year, and sell its consultancy business Consulting by A&O Shearman. So, is this a sign of things already going wrong, or is this all […]
Womble Bond Dickinson is preparing to expand significantly in the US, with a merger confirmed with Phoenix firm Lewis Roca. The geography-driven deal, which aims to plug several strategic gaps in the larger firm’s office network, is set to go live at the start of next year. The merged firm will be known as Womble […]
A&O Shearman has set out its post-merger integration plans, which includes closing one of its global offices and reducing its partnership by 10 per cent by the end of the financial year. The firm said today that its partnership would reduce within the year following a strategic review of its business post-A&O’s tie-up with Shearman. […]
Listed firm Knights has acquired the West Midlands firm Thursfields in a deal worth £12.5m as it aims to enter another period of rapid growth. Knights has been a prolific acquirer of mid-market law firms over the past decade, with Langleys (£17.7m), Shulmans (£17.6m), Keebles (£12.6m), ASB (£12.5m) and Coffin Mew (£11.3m) among its most […]
Few UK start-up firms have experienced the same meteoric rise as Knights. Its position as a mid-tier disruptor and consolidator has been largely unchallenged, helping it to lift revenue by a market-topping 185 per cent over the last five years. With so many sub £50m firms contending with the twin issues of a cashflow crunch […]
Allen & Overy and Shearman & Sterling officially tie the knot today after a year of client discussions, integration planning and team introductions. The firm brings together nearly 4,000 lawyers, including 800 partners, with combined revenues of approximately $3.5bn. It had long been the plan of A&O’s outgoing senior partner Wim Dejonghe to develop a […]