Law Firms

Partners approve merger that will create A&O Shearman

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A merger between Allen & Overy and Shearman & Sterling will create a law firm with nearly 4,000 lawyers, including 800 partners, across 48 offices. Image from Shutterstock.

Partners at Allen & Overy and Shearman & Sterling have voted to approve a merger, the law firms announced Friday.

The merger was approved with 99% of the votes cast, according to a press release, a fact sheet and stories by Bloomberg Law, Law.com and Reuters. The combined firm will be called A&O Shearman.

The merger will create a firm with nearly 4,000 lawyers, including 800 partners, across 48 offices, according to the fact sheet. Its combined revenues will be $3.5 billion, creating the third-largest integrated global firm by gross revenue.

In the United States, the firm will have 200 partners and 650 lawyers.

According to Bloomberg Law, Shearman & Sterling “has been reeling from the effects of partner exits and a slow deals market.” The publication reports that the firm’s revenues decreased more than 10% last year.

Allen & Overy has also seen some partner departures since merger plans were announced in May, according to Law.com.

See also:

“After talks end with 1 BigLaw firm, Shearman announces plans to merge with another”

“Shearman leader will ‘begin to pass the torch’ after failed merger talks, overseas partner departures”

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