It’s happening, it’s happening! Allen & Overy and Shearman & Sterling partners have begun voting on the merger. It feels weird. Voting will close on Oct. 13—two weeks from now. From what I’ve gathered, there’s an excitement bubbling on the surface but that little feeling of thrill is also fraught with tension and worry.

From my vantage point in Asia, both Allen & Overy and Shearman & Sterling have been very quiet since news broke of their arranged marriage. I say “arranged” because, well, it was arranged from the top down and served up on a fancy silver platter.