New York’s Dewey Ballantine and San Francisco’s Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe have taken another step toward completing a merger. According to a statement released this morning, the management and executive committees at both firms announced to their respective partners that they intend to recommend approving the combination. A full partnership vote at both firms is expected before the end of the year.
Last month, The American Lawyer first reported that the two firms were in serious merger discussions. Under terms of the proposed deal, the new firm would be called Dewey Orrick and would keep Orrick’s green “O” logo, which has become ubiquitous in the legal industry. Orrick’s CEO Ralph Baxter Jr. and Dewey’s Chairman Morton Pierce would serve as co-chairmen of the new firm while Baxter would gain the additional title of presiding partner.
