The year in law: Scale, survival, and the surge of the transatlantic titans Legal From the birth of new transatlantic titans to a government-led rescue of the litigation funding market, 2025 has seen the City’s legal landscape rewritten by a relentless pursuit of scale and a newfound reliance on the machine. The legal sector started the year with US President Donald Trump attacking the industry, as Trump vs Big [...]
Hogan Lovells and Cadwalader join the transatlantic wave of mergers Legal London-based Hogan Lovells has announced its intention to merge with Wall Street’s oldest law firm, Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft, to create a nearly £2.7bn law firm, as the trend of mega-mergers continues in the market. The firm, which will be known as Hogan Lovells Cadwalader, is subject to customary closing conditions, including a vote by [...]
Money talks, but culture counts in transatlantic law firm tie-ups Legal A merger between a notable US outfit and a UK-headquartered legal firm used to be a rare event, but with the focus on global dominance, these strategic moves are now attracting more attention – as more firms begin to follow suit. This week, London-based Ashurst agreed to merge with Seattle-based Perkins Coie, and overnight it [...]
Yet another Transatlantic tie-up: Ashurst and Perkins Coie announce $2.7bn merger November 17, 2025 UK law firm Ashurst has agreed to merge with the US law firm Perkins Coie, the latest move in a series of large transatlantic tie-ups in the legal sector. After a week of speculation about Ashurst being in merger talks, the firm agreed a deal with Settle-based Perkins Coie to become a $2.7bn law firm, [...]
The great big merger: Chasing elite status in the legal world September 18, 2025 The ever-evolving legal market continues to expand, particularly when it comes to law firm names, which have become longer as a result of a flurry of recent mergers. The ambition to join the ‘Global Elite’ continues to drive change, as two major firms have recently followed A&O Shearman’s lead by merging with New York law [...]
London law firm DAC Beachcroft to launch in US December 17, 2024 DAC Beachcroft is set to launch into the US with offices planned in New York and Los Angeles, as the push for English firms to go stateside continues
Herbert Smith Freehills to merge with US rival to create £1.6bn law firm November 11, 2024 Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) is set to merge with US law firm Kramer Levin to create a £1.6bn "global legal powerhouse"
Meet Julien Martinet: The savvy lawyer who poached an entire team from law giant Hogan Lovells February 5, 2022 Julien Martinet this week hit the headlines for leaving Hogan Lovells, one of the biggest law firms in the world, to start his own specialist litigator, Swift Litigation – and taking his entire team of lawyers with him. Martinet’s departure from Hogan Lovell’s came after former Boies Schiller Flexner partner Natasha Harrison left the New [...]
Hogan Lovells partner leaves firm to start up rival litigator – taking six of his colleagues with him February 2, 2022 A former Hogan Lovells partner, from the law firm’s Paris office, has poached six of his colleagues to start his own rival litigator. Former Hogan Lovells partner Julien Martinet has left the Anglo-American law firm to establish his own Paris-based company, Swift Litigation, according to Law.com. Martinet’s new team will also be taking Hogan Lovells’ [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING January 4, 2010 FINANCIAL TIMES US PUBLIC PENSIONS FACE $2,000BN SHORTFALL The US public pension system faces a higher-than-expected shortfall of more than $2,000bn that will increase pressure on many states’ strained finances and crimp economic growth, according to the chairman of New Jersey’s pension fund. The estimate by Orin Kramer will fuel investors’ concerns over the deteriorating [...]