Norton Rose Fulbright’s transatlantic tie-up with Chadbourne & Parke given go-ahead following successful partner vote

Avatar photo

By Thomas Connelly on

International giant strengthens US arm

Norton Rose Fulbright’s transatlantic tie-up with New York-headquartered Chadbourne & Parke has been given the green light.

Confirming the merger, a statement on Norton Rose Fulbright’s website reveals that the two outfits “will combine in the second quarter of 2017”. This follows a successful partner vote which ran from 3 February.

Several weeks ago Legal Cheek reported that discussions between the two law firms were in their “advanced stages”, with lawyers from both sides keen to push the combination through as soon as possible.

Merger now agreed, the new firm — which will still operate under the name Norton Rose Fulbright — will boast more than 4,000 lawyers in 58 offices spanning 32 countries. Significantly strengthening its presence across the pond, the international giant will have over 1,000 lawyers in the US, including 300 in New York alone.

Boasting a global revenue of £1.16 billion according to Legal Cheek’s Most List, Norton Rose Fulbright will now benefit from new offices in Mexico City, São Paulo and Istanbul. Commenting on the union, the firm’s global chief executive, Peter Martyr, said:

We are delighted to unite Norton Rose Fulbright with Chadbourne & Parke to create a global law firm that few can match. Chadbourne has a proud history, and is known for its world class practices in energy, infrastructure, banking and finance. Joining forces with our new colleagues, we can offer our clients significant new capabilities in New York and Washington, DC.

Earlier this month Eversheds and Washington-headquartered Sutherland Asbill & Brennan completed a transatlantic merger of their own. With discussions first revealed back in December, the new law firm — which has 2,300 lawyers across 61 offices in 29 countries — is now called Eversheds Sutherland.

For all the latest news, features, events and jobs, sign up to Legal Cheek’s weekly newsletter here.