Aside from testifying to the increasing importance being placed by Slaughter and May on its ‘best friends’ network, the ‘combination’ of the UK firm’s Paris practice with French ally Bredin Prat is an interesting signpost to both firms’ direction.
One source close to Bredin Prat says Slaughters had been mulling over the future of the 40-lawyer office for at least five years. The practice was regarded as having become increasingly out of place as the firm put increasing emphasis on its core ‘best friends’ network in Western Europe. In addition, the office’s heavy UK law finance and tax focus had grown ill-suited to a Paris market that has essentially divided into separate bands of domestically-focused M&A teams and onestop-shop banking advisers.
