Mergers are once again high on the agenda for many managing partners. But why are law firms looking more and more at the merger option as a way forward when experience shows that most discussions do not get beyond an initial chat, some fall away before agreement is reached and many of the mergers that are consummated never deliver the promised goods?
Having trodden the merger route myself and bedded down three mergers (Jaques & Lewis/Eversheds, Eversheds/Waltons & Morse and Eversheds/Frere Cholmeley Bischoff) I would suggest there are some basic rules of engagement that you need to bear in mind if a merger is to work for you.
