Chicago’s Seyfarth Shaw is in merger talks with local rival D’Ancona & Pflaum as the top 100 US firm moves to diversify its practice.

Currently half of Seyfarth Shaw’s 500 attorneys specialise in labour and employment law and another 50 focus on employee benefits. In contrast, the 60-lawyer D’Ancona’s practice covers antitrust, corporate and banking, IP and real estate.