More law firm mergers than usual closed in the first three months of 2019, according to the consultant Fairfax Associates, helped along mostly by consolidation among smaller firms across the country.

Fairfax tallied 24 finalized mergers during the first quarter, including three cross-borders tie-ups and 21 U.S. firms joining forces. That figure is higher than the 21 it recorded in the first quarter of 2018 and above the average of 20 mergers in the same period over the past decade, Fairfax said.