Australia predicted to be a law firm merger hot spot in 2012

A new report looks back on the uptick in law firm mergers from 2010-2011 and notes a growing trend.  In particular, Australia seems poised to lead the way in terms of domestic and international law firm mergers in 2012, according to Reuters (via the Hildebrandt Institute):

“Law firm mergers jumped by 67 percent in 2011, and are expected to rise again in 2012, according to the Hildebrandt Institute’s MergerWatch. Law firm mergers are already off to a strong start for the new year.

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For 2012, a number of large cross-border mergers are in the wings or have recently become effective, with Canada, Australia and Asia being key locations of interest. Norton Rose Group combined with Canadian law firm Macleod Dixon on January 1, creating an international legal practice with more than 2,900 lawyers. The U.K.’s Ashurst and Australia’s Blake Dawson announced plans to combine their businesses in Asia by March 2012 with a full merger, conditional on a further vote of the partnerships, by 2014. And recently, Australia’s Mallesons Stephen Jaques and China’s King & Wood announced the combination of their firms to create King & Wood Mallesons with more than 1,800 lawyers, effective March 1, 2012.”

 Read the full story…

No surprise to those of you who have been watching, as 2011 was a banner year down under.  There was the Mallesons tie up with King & Wood, preceded by the Ashurst and Blake Dawson deal,  the defections from Minter Ellison to Squire Sanders and of course one of the earlier moves of 2011, DLA Piper’s official partnership with DLA Phillips Fox.

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