The merger bid between Gouldens and US giant Jones Day Reavis & Pogue has drawn a mixed response from leading lawyers with less than one in three of Legal Week’s panel of 100 law firm leaders believing a tie-up would benefit both firms.

This week’s Legal Week/EJ Legal Big Question survey found 70% of the panel seeing no benefit to the merger talks, stating the merger will either have no positive effect or even a detrimental one.