According to a report from Altman Weil, 39 law firm mergers were announced in the United States so far in 2014. This matches the pace of 2013, according to The Am Law Daily.
The majority of mergers so far in 2014 involve firms from the East Coast and the Midwest looking to the West for growth.
Warning: Constant DOMAIN_JOBSEARCH_URL_HTTP already defined in /home/blogsites/jdjournal/www/wp-content/plugins/jobsearch/jobserach_constants.php on line 7
Some recent mergers include Husch Blackwell and Shook, Hardy & Bacon combining with a handful of smaller firms in Denver, Colorado and the acquisition of Peitzman Weg by Robins Kaplan Miller & Ciresi in Los Angeles.
Another merger, which occurred this week, involved Jackson Kelly. This firm has 179 lawyers and is headquartered in Charleston, West Virginia. It acquired a firm of 20 lawyers in Evansville, Indiana.
Smith, Gambrell & Russell, with 170 lawyers, acquired the Kapoor Law Group, which focuses on immigration.
The largest merger so far involved Patton Boggs and Squire Sanders, which is now known as Squire Patton Boggs 
. The combined firm has more than 1,500 lawyers and the merger took effect on June 1.
A principal from Altman Weil, Ward Bower, said the following in a statement: “This pattern of one or two big combinations per quarter along with a large number of small, safe deals has emerged since the recession. It reflects a market that is acting with greater caution when it comes to growth.”
Â
Looking for law firm jobs? Click here to browse all legal jobs in law firms.
