Remember when everyone thought the Allen & Overy/Shearman merger was a once-in-a-generation event? It was supposed to be a transatlantic Biglaw merger for the ages, but many law firm leaders viewed it as an invitation.
Now, we’ve got HSF Kramer, Winston Taylor, Ashurst Perkins Coie, and Hogan Lovells Cadwalader. Absolutely no one wants to miss out on this kind of merger action, but sometimes, it’s just not meant to be.
On that note, we’ve got news on an alleged law firm romance that reportedly fizzled pretty quickly. According to Semafor, Linklaters attempted to woo Cleary Gottlieb into a merger earlier this year, but it seems that the UK firm was politely rejected. The denials followed quickly:
A Linklaters spokesperson denied that it had made an approach to Cleary. A Cleary spokesperson said the firm was focused on a “strategically aggressive growth strategy.”
UK publication Non-Billable got an even more detailed denial, with a Cleary spokesperson calling the merger rumor “categorically false.”
Whether this courtship got very far — or ever happened in the first place — may never be known. But one thing is becoming increasingly clear: if you’re a global law firm that hasn’t at least explored a transformational, transatlantic merger, you’re starting to look like the exception rather than the rule.
Exclusive / UK law firm Linklaters sought to merge with Cleary Gottlieb [Semafor]
Linklaters and Cleary deny report of merger approach [Non-Billable]
Staci Zaretsky is the managing editor of Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Bluesky, X/Twitter, and Threads, or connect with her on LinkedIn.
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