Talks are said to be advanced between 1,000-lawyer, San Francisco-based Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe and New York-based, 700-lawyer practice Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman. A letter of intent is 'expected' to be signed this week, according to 'a source with direct knowledge of the discussions', as cited in the Baltimore Sun. A joint statement to Reuters from the heads of the firms last week stated: 'Our firms are in exploratory discussions about a possible combination. These talks are serving to confirm the great respect our firms have for each other.' Orrick has a strong reputation for its IP, litigation and corporate work, while the energy practice at Pillsbury is well-known.