King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) has decided against actively pursuing a merger in the US just months after the firm set up a six-partner strategy committee to investigate potential opportunities in the jurisdiction.
The Hong Kong-headquartered outfit, which last year merged with UK firm SJ Berwin to help bolster its cross border transactional capability, has instead chosen to build a formal ‘best friends’ network, through which it hopes to form closer relationships with around a dozen top American firms.
