Partners in Strategic Growth

We are preeminent strategic advisors on law firm combinations. In the first quarter of 2018 alone, we were involved in three combinations involving Am Law 100, 200 or Global 100 firms on both sides of each deal. Over the past two decades, we have advised on many of the most successful and historic law firm combinations between firms in the United States, Great Britain, and the People’s Republic of China. We counsel law firms of every size, from local and regional partnerships to leading global participants in the legal sector. In every combination, our goal is to optimize the value proposition of the combined firm as driven by its people, practices, culture, brand equity, and desired position in the marketplace.

Our Experience

Our consultants serve as trusted advisors to firm leadership on all aspects of mergers and acquisitions, including developing a merger strategy, building internal consensus for the strategy, analyzing and prioritizing targets and suitors, and facilitating discussions between them. We have served as advisors to the deal, as well as independent advisors to both targets and suitors. We offer particular value in overcoming the often vexing impediments to successful mergers, from governance issues to conflicts, choice of name, and disparate compensation systems.

Our Approach

While each combination is unique, engagements typically include some or all of the following:

• Work with firm leadership to create an expansion strategy that will accelerate achievement of the firm’s short- and long-term vision
• Conduct market analysis and build consensus among key partners around criteria for candidate firms
• Develop a list of target firms based on our client’s priorities and facilitate meetings between firm leaders
• Prepare for meetings with candidate firms by supplying relevant data and helping identify and articulate the value proposition for the combined firm
• Formally and informally facilitate merger discussions, manage the due diligence process, and analyze data relevant to the combination
• Develop and implement solutions to bridge performance and other gaps between the firms, as well as internal and external communications to achieve client objectives
• Advise on realizing the benefits of the combination through client interviews and leveraging cross-servicing and cross-selling opportunities in the combined firm