Partners from both firms have reported that merger discussions have slowed down since the  June referendum, when the UK narrowly voted to leave the EU. The potential tie-up between the firms was first reported publicly in May, but is understood to have been in the works since late last year. ‘The US deal is still ongoing but it has slowed because the dust hasn’t settled on Brexit yet,’ one Addleshaw partner told Legal Week. No formal proposal had been brought to the Addleshaw board before the referendum, but a source from the firm reported that talks had advanced to a stage where there was ‘a sufficient degree of conformity that everyone was comfortable with the basics and the feel culturally.’

Global potential

Virginia-headquartered Hunter & Williams has 14 US offices and outposts in Brussels, Beijing, Tokyo, London and Bangkok, while Addleshaw has an international presence in Dubai, Hong Kong, Oman, Qatar and Singapore. A merger between the pair would create a firm with combined revenues of around £554m and a global headcount of more than 1,300 lawyers.

Sources: Legal Week; American Lawyer