Top 60 US firm Winston & Strawn and Taylor Wessing's UK arm have confirmed they intend to merge, in a tie-up that will form a transatlantic firm with 1,400 lawyers and revenue in the region of $1.6bn.
The merger is set to go live in May 2026, subject to regulatory approval and a vote of the partners in each firm.
The tie-up will see Taylor Wessing UK, a top 20 UK law firm with over 450 lawyers in the UK, Ireland and the Middle East, split from the Taylor Wessing Verein that, as Taylor Joynson Garrett, it helped forge following its tie-up in 2002 with Germany's Wessing & Berenberg-Gossler.
Joining the deal will be Taylor Wessing's Netherlands and Belgium arms, which have around 100 lawyers across Amsterdam, Eindhoven, and Brussels. The remainder of the Verein, comprising firms in nine jurisdictions including France, Germany and Poland, will sign a cooperation agreement with the newly forged Winston Taylor.
If approved, as expected, this will be the fourth major transatlantic merger to be agreed since UK Magic Circle firm Allen & Overy and New York's Shearman & Sterling announced their tie-up in May 2023. That deal went live in May 2024; HSF Kramer followed suit in June of this year, while last month Ashurst agreed to merge with Perkins Coie.
Winston Taylor will have 20 offices and focus on litigation, transactions, strategic IP and private wealth matters for clients, particularly in the tech, life sciences and financial services sectors. The tie-up will bring significant heft in the UK to Winston & Strawn, where the firm currently has a 14-partner London office – relatively small for a leading US firm.
Winston & Strawn chairman Steve D’Amore, who will continue as chairman of the combined firm, said the merger would give the firm "a London-headquartered partner that fulfils our long-held ambition to grow in the UK".
“This combination will establish an elite practice in the major commercial centres important to our clients," he added. "Winston Taylor will be positioned to lead on the most sophisticated litigation and transactions in the world’s most defining industries.”
"In Winston & Strawn, Taylor Wessing UK will have a US partner that shares our vision, our values, and culture, and absolute focus on the highest levels of client service," said Shane Gleghorn, managing partner of Taylor Wessing UK, who will serve as managing partner of Europe and the Middle East for Winston Taylor and become a member of its executive committee.
"By combining Winston & Strawn’s strength in the major hubs across the United States with our coverage of the key centres of London, Europe and the Middle East, we will have created a firm with the highest level of transatlantic capabilities in key practices and sectors."
The Taylor Wessing Verein, meanwhile, put a brave face on the departure of three of its member firms, announcing on its website a "new diversified strategy regarding its international alliance" and promising "further growth and innovation, focusing on Europe and beyond".
Oliver Bertram, global co-chair – alongside Gleghorn – and managing partner of Taylor Wessing Germany, said: “We are rightly proud of the many years of collaboration and success we have shared with our British colleagues. So, we are pleased to have achieved an arrangement that ensures work continues as normal despite the structural change but which does not impact our ability to push expansion, agility and innovation working with other firms in Europe as well as the US.”
Taylor Wessing’s UK business grew revenue by 15% to £283.7m in FY2025, while profit per equity partner (PEP) jumped 20% to push past £1m for the first time, hitting £1.1m. Meanwhile, Winston & Strawn brought in revenue of nearly $1.3bn in 2024 against PEP of $3.5m, according to data published by Law.com.
The Chicago-founded firm is known for its strength in high-stakes litigation, particularly in complex commercial, antitrust and sports law, alongside robust corporate, M&A and private equity capabilities.
The deal comes just a few weeks after Ashurst announced plans to merge with US firm Perkins Coie, a move that will create a top-20 global law firm with around 3,000 lawyers and revenue of $2.7bn if approved by the partnerships of both firms.
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