The two firms had been discussing a potential transatlantic merger over the last several weeks, but a joint statement from the firms released Tuesday said those plans have been scrapped, at least for the time being.
“Simmons & Simmons and Mayer Brown have held preliminary discussions with regard to the potential for a merger.,” the statement reads. “Mergers are complex and present a number of issues which need to be resolved before discussions can proceed. We have concluded that a combination between our firms is not the right option. There is, however, considerable goodwill and continuing respect on both sides.”
The merger would have followed the transatlantic unions forged earlier this year between Hogan & Hartson and Lovells and Sonnenschein and Denton Wilde.
According to previous reports, the merger between Mayer Brown and Simmons & Simmons would have potentially given Mayer Brown a significant boost in the United Kingdom while Simmons & Simmons would substantially bolster its presence in Asia.