The new Norton Rose Group will have a turnover of more than 420 million pounds (AUD$864m) and in excess of 1800 fee earners (non-partner staff) in 29 offices worldwide. In the Asia Pacific region, it will bring together more than 700 fee earners operating from 12 offices in Bangkok, Beijing, Brisbane, Canberra, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Melbourne, Perth, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney and Tokyo.

Deacons first launched in Sydney in 1868 when Dr George Sly commenced practice in Sydney, and takes its name from a young English solicitor, Victor Deacon, who went to the British colony of Hong Kong in 1880 to join the legal practice established by William Bridges.

Deacons Australia CEO, Don Boyd, said: “As soon as the initial discussions were underway it became clear that there was a common global ambition, particularly in the predicted growth markets of the future, namely Asia Pacific.”

The new Norton Rose Group will be led by group chief executive, Peter Martyr, the current Norton Rose LLP chief executive, and deputy group chief executive, Don Boyd, the current Deacons Australia CEO. Norton Rose LLP chairman, Stephen Parish, will be the chairman of Norton Rose Group.

“We have shared aspirations regarding strategic growth, both in practice area terms and geographic expansion. The business case is compelling and the synergy of working together is convincing,” Boyd added.

Norton Rose already has offices in Europe, Asia and the Middle East and was originally founded in Britain in 1794.  In 2008, it was ranked as the 53rd largest legal practice in the world by revenue and is particularly renowned for its expertise in complex transactions involving financing of "big ticket" assets (aircraft, ships and railcar fleets), large construction and infrastructure projects (toll roads, power generation stations, hospitals and public private partnership projects) and international mergers and acquisitions.