Once again, we are in merger-talk season. There was a flurry of activity last year that culminated in the various Sonnenschein, Norton Rose, and Squire Sanders transoceanic combinations. They were notable because they all opted to organize as Swiss vereins rather than single profit sharing partnerships, and all were motivated, at least in part, by a desire to get bigger so they could compete for work and talent that was waiting for those who, well, got bigger.
The wooing continues. Consultants log George Clooney–esque flyer miles trying to complete promising law firm mergers. And partners seek to convince themselves either that they’re not being acquired or that an acquisition is necessary to have a chance at becoming one of the Select 17 (or whatever) who will stand astride the known world, someday real soon.
