Slaughter and May is repositioning itself as the preferred UK referral partner to Wall Street’s legal establishment as the magic circle firm moves to broaden its relationships beyond acknowledged US ally Davis Polk & Wardwell.

Legal Week understands that Slaughters, which alone among the UK’s magic circle of top firms has resisted US law expansion, has this year conducted a tour of leading Wall Street firms to sell the practice as a referral firm for premium US-driven work.