Pinsent Masons is aiming to secure a formal alliance with German referral partner Luther in the wake of the firm’s split this month from Ernst & Young’s (E&Y’s) legal network.

The 220-lawyer Luther put the split with E&Y down to restrictive laws governing relationships between auditors and linked law firms, such as the US Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which have put intense pressure on accountancy-tied legal firms.