A handful of law firm leaders with Washington roots have dug deeper this year, claiming that no matter how frequently mergers creep across the industry, their law firms won’t join other firms.

Here’s one: Steptoe & Johnson LLP. “We don’t have a strategy to merge. We have a strategy to enhance our performance. It’s ultimately about what the marketplace asks for and wants,” Philip Malet, Steptoe’s vice chairman, said this month. “We and I think many of the firms in town appreciate our independence.”