Akin Gump & Orrick are Talking About a Possible Megamerger
Updated: Two well known law firms are exploring the possibility of combining to form a megafirm.
A representative of Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe confirms that it is in preliminary merger talks with Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, reports the Am Law Daily. It estimates that the combined firm, if a merger is approved by partners, would have an attorney roster of approximately 1,800 lawyers.
Both firms have also confirmed to the Wall Street Journal Law Blog that they are discussing a possible merger.
The Am Law Daily notes this isn’t Orrick’s first time making merger advances.
“The firm has a long history of going pretty far down the aisle with potential merger partners only to have deals fall apart for various reasons,” the publication reports.
It points to a 2006 “ill-fated near merger” with Dewey Ballantine as the most recent example.
Hat tip: Above the Law.