It’s not Legal Week‘s style to make a fuss when we break stories. As far as we are concerned it’s our job to break quality news on a daily basis, so readers will very rarely see references in our stories to Legal Week “revealing” things. But once in a while a story is worth the self-regarding tip, and the merger discussions between Lovells and Hogan & Hartson, revealed exclusively today on legalweek.com, is in that select camp.
The talks are the first concrete evidence to back up the claims made for months by managing partners on both sides of the pond that the general mood is warming to transatlantic mergers. Not on Wall Street, of course. There’s still little or no sign that the select band of profitable Manhattan practices are any more prepared to consider a deal with a magic circle suitor. But America’s sizeable band of large, upwardly-mobile national practices are, according to many seasoned partners, increasingly asking if now is the moment to hook up with a like-minded London firm while there is still time to book a place in the emerging global elite.
