Brisbane-based Shine Lawyers and Melbourne-based Slater and Gordon, the second- and third-largest plaintiffs law firms in Australia, recently discussed a possible merger, according to The Australian Financial Review.

Senior board members of the two Australia-listed law firms, including Shine chairman Tony Bellas and Slater chairman James MacKenzie, met in a cafe in Brisbane for more than an hour two weeks ago to discuss a tie-up, the newspaper reported after its reporter overheard the discussions.