When Allen & Overy and Shearman & Sterling announced their merger plans Sunday, they said it was “driven by clients’ needs for a seamless global offering of the highest quality and depth.”

In-house attorneys agree that broader expertise can indeed be a major upside of law firm mergers. “The new resources with a merged firm is really awesome. Your bench strength increases dramatically,” said Kelleen Brennan, assistant general counsel at Axon Enterprise.