Eversheds and Sutherland Asbill & Brennan Discuss Merger

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Summary: Atlanta-based Sutherland Asbill & Brennan are in merger talks with Eversheds, which would open up both firms’ abilities to offer their clients a global service.

Eversheds and Sutherland Asbill & Brennan, an American law firm, are already into the late stages of merger discussions with a vote by partners are both firms to come in the next few weeks. Should the votes pass, the Atlanta-based law firm would create a transatlantic relationship with £600 million in turnover.

  

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A merger would result in the 39^th largest firm by revenue globally with Eversheds jumping into the top 10 law firms in the UK. Sutherland will boost Eversheds head count by 178 partners to 358 located in offices in Atlanta, Austin, Geneva, Houston, New York, Sacramento and Washington D.C. They would have a combined 2,300 lawyers in 61 offices in 29 countries.

Sutherland is a corporate, energy, financial services, intellectual property, litigation, tax, and real estate law firm. They had opened a small office in the UK two years ago when they merged with London commodities boutique Arbis. This gave them their first office in Geneva in addition to the London one. The London location focuses on metals and oil trading.

Eversheds has been in the process during the last few years of merging with a US law firm. The first started talks with Foley & Lardner in Milwaukee but the talks ended the end of last year when details of the potential merge were leaked to the media.

The new firm would be called Eversheds Sutherland. They would be overseen by a global Board with equal representation from both firms. Both firms are looking for a way to improve global client service.

Eversheds Chief Executive Bryan Hughes said, “Eversheds has an exceptionally strong reputation for international client service and our strategic ambition is to provide a high quality offering and a single legal solution to clients wherever they are required globally. Joining forces with Sutherland will give each firm’s clients a global platform and we will be discussing the proposal with our Partners positively in the coming weeks.”

Sutherland Managing Partner Mark Wasserman added, “As our clients continue to pursue many of the most important and complex business opportunities around the world, our attorneys continue to seek ways to enhance the firm’s long standing tradition of providing clients with the highest quality service and innovative solutions. We look forward to discussions over the next few weeks about the opportunities this transaction will bring to our clients.”

Do you think this is a good merger? Tell us in the comments below.

To learn more about Eversheds, read these articles:

• Eversheds Elects Paul Smith as New Chairman
• Eversheds Named Europe’s ‘Most Innovative’ Law Firm
• Eversheds Study Details ‘The Client’s Revolution’

Photo: flickr.com