A merger of Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders and Locke Lord would instantly create a firm of more than 1,600 lawyers and—firm leaders hope—would put the combined firm in more competitive positions in several practices, client industries and markets. The firms last week confirmed merger discussions.

Troutman Pepper and Locke Lord’s shared industry sectors—energy, insurance, health care and life sciences, private equity, financial services and real estate—are one of the reasons why the firms started talking, noted Kent Zimmermann, a consultant with Zeughauser Group who is advising Troutman Pepper on the deal. Assuming a more dominant market leader position in a number of industry sectors tends to build demand and result in more pricing power, he said.