Opportunity can be a fleeting thing. In the late 1980s and throughout much of the following decade, global domination was on the agenda of top-tier legal advisers in the UK. Subsequent economic slowdown and the collapse of business confidence post-Enron meant consolidation – and even retrenchment – was the name of the game.
Optimism has since returned in spades, with the UK’s largest firms benefiting from the return of big-ticket M&A in Europe. Lower down the law firm food chain, that upbeat mood is reflected in the raft of ambitious regional outfits that are pressing ahead with plans to become truly national in reach.
