May 2026 tie-up target
Following the announcement of merger plans late last year, Taylor Wessing and Winston & Strawn’s partnerships have now given the proposed tie-up the green light. The merger will go under the name Winston Taylor, with completion expected in May 2026.
The tie-up will create a firm of over 1,400 lawyers and one of the largest transatlantic players, with 20 offices across the US, the UK and Europe, as well as outposts in Latin America and the Middle East, and revenues exceeding $1.6 billion (£1.2 billion).
The Legal Cheek Firms Most List shows that Taylor Wessing is the larger of the two firms in the UK, recruiting around 20 trainees each year in London, whereas Winston & Strawn takes on just two. However, the US firm leads on salary, with NQ pay at a hefty £160,000, compared with Taylor Wessing’s £115,000.
Steve D’Amore, chairman of Winston & Strawn, who is set to take up the helm as global chair of the new firm, said:
“The decisive, overwhelming support from our partnerships reflects a shared passion and commitment to meeting our clients’ desire for a unified team across the Atlantic—one that delivers unparalleled advice and capability in the areas that matter most to them. Winston Taylor is positioned to provide seamlessly integrated work across borders for the businesses, people, and markets which are driving capital and innovation.”
Meanwhile, Shane Gleghorn, managing partner of Taylor Wessing’s UK outfit, who will head up the new firm’s European and Middle East offices, added:
“This combination creates a transatlantic law firm in the major hubs of innovation and capital in the US, Europe, and the Middle East. Our clients require a firm with premier teams in those hubs in relation to critical transactions, litigation, IP and private wealth. Our partners, therefore, voted in favor of the combination because both firms have an absolute commitment to achieving our clients’ objectives, and that focus will be the foundation of our shared success.”
Taylor Wessing Netherlands and Belgium will also join the new brand. As part of the deal, those offices and Taylor Wessing UK will exit the current Taylor Wessing verein. Winston Taylor has also agreed to establish a cooperation and referral arrangement with the verein to ensure continuity for shared client matters.
Confirmation of the deal comes amid a flurry of merger announcements at the end of last year, including Ashurst’s plans to join forces with Perkins Coie and Hogan Lovells’ proposed $3.6 billion mega-merger with Cadwalader.
