Law firms completed a record 56 mergers during the first nine months of 2018, according to consulting firm Fairfax Associates—one-third more than the average number of mergers for the same period over the past 10 years.

The 56 mergers through the third quarter marked an increase from the 50 mergers that took place during the same period in 2017. The average number of mergers for the same period over the last 10 years is 42.