Biglaw

A&O Shearman Merger Approved, Poised To Become Third-Largest Firm In The World

Make way for the next Biglaw behemoth. Congratulations!

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handshake under falling moneyIt’s officially time to say hello to A&O Shearman, the newest Biglaw behemoth. After two weeks of voting, Allen & Overy and Shearman & Sterling jointly announced earlier this morning that their partnerships had officially approved the firms’ proposed merger. Combined, the firm will have nearly 4,000 lawyers with approximately 800 partners, spread across 48 offices. A&O Shearman’s revenue will total roughly $3.5 billion. As noted by the American Lawyer, A&O Shearman is now set to become the third-largest law firm in the world.

According to a firm spokesperson, more than 99% of the votes cast at each firm were in favor of the merger. The firms published a joint press release with comments from their respective leaders:

Wim Dejonghe, Senior Partner at Allen & Overy, said: “This is a historic moment for both firms and our profession. We are delighted that our partners have voted so resoundingly in favor of this merger, which is a transformational step for the legal industry. We have long admired Shearman & Sterling for its outstanding reputation, talent, and client base, and we are confident that together we will create a truly exceptional global firm that will serve our clients’ needs in an increasingly complex and dynamic world.”

Adam Hakki, Senior Partner at Shearman & Sterling, said: “Our partners have recognized and welcomed this unparalleled opportunity to combine our individual market leadership and brands to serve clients as an integrated global law firm, preeminent in all our markets. A&O Shearman will be a firm unlike any other in the world, built to achieve exceptional outcomes for our clients through an intentional focus on quality, excellence, and collaboration. We are creating a new industry leader, with truly global capabilities, and we are excited for what is to come.”

Now that the merger has been approved, A&O Shearman is expected to be effective sometime this spring, likely in May 2024. Congratulations!

A&O SHEARMAN MERGER APPROVED [Press Release]
A&O Shearman Has Liftoff—Partners Give Green Light [American Lawyer]

Staci ZaretskyStaci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter and Threads or connect with her on LinkedIn.

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