Ashurst and Perkins Coie partners vote overwhelmingly to approve transatlantic merger creating a $2.8bn, 3,000-lawyer firm
Partners at Ashurst and Perkins Coie have voted to combine the two firms in a transatlantic merger that will create a combined entity with revenues of $2.8 billion and approximately 3,000 lawyers, with the tie-up expected to complete by the third quarter of 2026. Leadership at both firms described the vote as 'overwhelming' in favour of the combination. The merger will bring Seattle-born Perkins Coie — a firm with deep US tech and litigation practices — a meaningful UK foothold, while Ashurst gains a significant American platform and expands its presence to Sydney, Australia. The combined firm will rank among the top tier of global law firms by headcount and revenue. The deal reflects a sustained wave of transatlantic law firm consolidation, as mid-to-large firms seek the scale necessary to compete for cross-border mandates against the elite Magic Circle and lockstep US firms. For Ashurst in particular, a strong US platform has been a strategic gap; Perkins Coie's Pacific Northwest tech and government practice adds a differentiated profile beyond the typical New York financial sector entry. The completion timetable — Q3 2026 — means integration work, including partnership agreements, regulatory filings with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), and branding decisions, is already underway.
Why this matters
Law firm mergers of this scale directly activate professional regulation, employment, and corporate work across both jurisdictions — partners will require new partnership deeds, profit-sharing arrangements will need renegotiation, and SRA authorisation processes must be managed on the UK side. The strategic rationale is clear: global clients increasingly demand seamless US-UK coverage on complex cross-border M&A, disputes, and regulatory matters, and mid-tier firms without that coverage lose mandates to full-service global platforms. The 'why now' is competitive pressure from the expanded A&O Shearman combination and the ongoing growth of elite US firms in London, which has compressed the addressable market for firms operating in only one major jurisdiction. This deal will create immediate demand for integration legal work — governance structuring, partnership liability arrangements, and conflicts-of-interest analysis across the combined client base.
On the Ground
On a matter like this, a trainee would assist with Companies House filings and corporate governance documentation as the UK entity restructures, and would be involved in drafting and proofreading board minutes recording the partner vote and approving next steps. They might also be tasked with maintaining a conditions precedent (CP) checklist tracking the various regulatory approvals and notifications required before the merger completes.
Interview prep
Soundbite
Transatlantic mergers compress the mid-tier market — firms without US-UK scale lose cross-border mandates to full-service platforms.
Question you might get
“What are the key regulatory and governance steps Ashurst would need to complete before this merger can formally close in the UK, and which bodies would need to be notified or consulted?”
Full answer
Ashurst and Perkins Coie's partners have voted to merge, creating a $2.8 billion firm with 3,000 lawyers completing by Q3 2026. For law firm clients, this matters because it signals that firms of Ashurst's calibre view standalone UK-anchored practices as insufficient for competing on the largest global mandates. The deal reflects a structural shift toward legal consolidation driven by US firm expansion in London and the precedent set by A&O Shearman. The SRA will need to authorise any changes to Ashurst's UK entity structure, adding a regulatory dimension alongside the commercial integration challenge. This suggests the mid-tier transatlantic law firm segment will continue consolidating through 2026, which sustains M&A advisory and professional regulation work for those advising the firms themselves.
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