US firms Squire Sanders & Dempsey and Steel Hector & Davis have this week merged to create an 800-lawyer firm with a major international network.

The tie-up, exclusively revealed by Legal Week (30 June), sees the Ohio-based Squire Sanders and Miami firm Steel Hector combine to form a practice with 31 offices throughout the globe and turnover of more than $400m (£222m). The combined firm will retain the Squire Sanders name.