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In a major overnight move, partners at global law firm Ashurst and US-headquartered BigLaw firm Perkins Coie gave the green light for a merger set to create a combined powerhouse of around 3,000 lawyers and US$2.8 billion in revenue.
Into the early hours of Tuesday, 14 April, Perkins Coie and Ashurst announced that their respective partnerships had “voted overwhelmingly” in favour of joining forces to operate as a single, integrated global firm, Ashurst Perkins Coie.
This comes after the global law firm and US-headquartered BigLaw practice revealed plans to combine to form a top-20 global law firm last November.
In a statement, the firms noted that the combination remains subject to “customary closing conditions” but is expected to be completed in the third quarter of this year.
The approved merger is set to create a formidable global legal powerhouse, uniting around 3,000 lawyers across more than 50 offices, with flagship hubs anchored in key international centres, including Seattle, London, Sydney, and New York.
On top of that, Ashurst Perkins Coie is set to generate combined revenues of approximately US$2.8 billion (around AU$4 billion).
The newly formed firm will be strategically positioned across high-growth sectors, driving global economic transformation, including technology, energy, infrastructure, and financial services.
Bill Malley, firmwide managing partner at Perkins Coie, shared how the approval underscores a strong collective belief among partners in the merger’s strategic value, which will create a “truly differentiated global legal platform” with far-reaching impact.
“Our partnership’s approval reflects a shared belief that combining to form Ashurst Perkins Coie will create a truly differentiated global legal platform – one with the scale, sector depth, and technological leadership to meet our clients’ increasingly complex, cross-border needs,” Malley said.
Paul Jenkins, global CEO at Ashurst, expressed that the result reflects how closely aligned the two firms are, with discussions across teams and clients highlighting a clear strategic direction and reinforcing a seamless fit and highly complementary set of expertise.
“This vote confirms the strong alignment between our firms and our joint ambition for the future. Through our extensive engagement with partners, our people, and clients since announcing our intention to combine, it has become clear that our two firms are a natural fit,” Jenkins said.
“Our complementary expertise across sectors and practice areas, together with our shared commitment to innovation, will deliver greater scale and global reach for our clients, while creating a compelling platform for top legal talent.”
Mark Birnbaum, chair of the executive committee at Perkins Coie, said: “Our partners’ support underscores their commitment to building a forward-looking firm that enhances our ability to seize opportunity and deliver exceptional legal services in a dynamic global market. This reflects a shared confidence in what can be achieved together and in the strength of the combined platform to drive sustained growth and performance.”
