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Mid-tiers to merge next year
Two mid-tier law firms have announced their intention to merge from 1 March 2019.
Emma Musgrave
Russell Kennedy and Aitken Lawyers announced that they have an agreement to merge early next year. The move will see Aitken Lawyers take on the Russell Kennedy namesake and collectively see over 260 staff across Sydney and Melbourne offices.
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According to a joint statement, the firms have appointed a project team to “oversee all aspects of the merger process, including the establishment of national practice groups and the integration of systems and processes, with a view to the combined firm being fully operational by 1 March 2019”.
The merging of the two firms will see capabilities across a range of practice areas including corporate and commercial, litigation and dispute resolution, property and development, estate planning and family law, commonwealth state and local government, aged care and retirement living, workplace relations and employment, insolvency, rural services, and renewable energy, according to the joint statement.
Russell Kennedy managing director Paul Gleeson described Aitken Lawyers as a “natural fit” as the firm “sought to strengthen its national presence by establishing a foothold in the Sydney market”.
“We’re delighted to be joining forces with Aitken Lawyers,” said Mr Gleeson. “They are an impressive team with a tremendous reputation built on outstanding client service and a genuine commitment to their people.
“It’s precisely what attracted us to them. From the time we started talking earlier this year, it was obvious that there is a lot of common ground in terms of our respective cultures and how that translates to a shared commitment to doing our best for our clients and people we work with, and for the broader community where our work has an impact,” Mr Gleeson said.
Aitken Lawyers managing partner Andrew Aitken offered a similar sentiment, saying the firm’s clients and staff would “welcome the scale and resources that come with being part of a larger firm”.
“We are proud of the standing we’ve built as a firm, and we know that partnering with the team at Russell Kennedy will bring a host of benefits to our clients and our people,” Mr Aitken said.
“As a combined firm, we’ll bring greater depth and capacity to the practice areas where we’re already strong, while adding capability in areas that we know clients will value,” Mr Aitken said.
