Mergers are a new phenomenon for the Bar. Few realise that there have been as many catastrophic failures as successes. Some failures have been well-publicised, some have remained secret, but the very act of seeking a merger has destabilised chambers, sometimes to the point of destruction.
What are the criteria for using mergers as part of the solution, rather than as a quick route to destruction? Some are purely defensive: one or both chambers see crisis ahead and the merger becomes the least-worse alternative. This article concentrates on those seeking merger as a positive strategy, taken from a position of strength, not weakness.
