Law firm mergers have been rapidly increasing in the United States this year, with several announced since the start of 2023. Detroit-based law firm Clark Hill is joining that trend with the announcement of its merger with Philadelphia-based litigation firm Conrad O’Brien. The move will add 18 litigators to Clark Hill’s Philadelphia office and double the size of their presence in the city.
Nicholas Centrella, the former managing partner of Conrad O’Brien, and Clark Hill CEO John Hensien noted that the move was necessary to better compete in a large legal market dominated by international firms. They also highlighted that Clark Hill’s rate structures were much more compatible with Conrad O’Brien’s compared to other firms in Philadelphia.
Other large and mid-size firm combinations have been announced this year, including a 1,150-lawyer firm created by the merger of Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe and Buckley on Wednesday. On Tuesday, Haynes Boone revealed that it had combined with Smith Pachter McWhorter. Additionally, several other planned mergers were announced, including Smith, Gambrell & Russell and Freeborn & Peters; Maynard Cooper & Gale and Nexsen Pruet; Bricker & Eckler and Graydon Head & Ritchey; as well as Holland & Knight and Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis.
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Detroit’s Clark Hill expands in Philly with latest law firm merger