It is traditional at the start of January to look ahead at what the coming year holds. This custom is founded on the theory that should any predictions prove to be wildly wrong, the readership will be too hungover after the excesses of the Christmas break to remember them anyway. This year we are predicting what will not happen.
It is safe to predict that Ashurst will not be entering into merger talks with a US firm. Neither will Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer or Linklaters. Any major fireworks involving the UK’s finest firms – unless they involve further departures from Clifford Chance’s US practice – will not happen in the US, but will involve US firms continuing to prise away senior UK partners from their less profitable London-based rivals – notwithstanding the weak dollar.
