As Fox Rothschild fills in another section of the East Coast with its latest merger, other large firms based in Pennsylvania are also thinking about the Southeast. But finding a match can be a major challenge.

Philadelphia-based Fox Rothschild finalized its biggest acquisition ever last week, when the Am Law 100 firm gained about 125 lawyers across the Carolinas and Georgia from Smith Moore Leatherwood. Chairman Mark Silow said the deal has already resulted in some work, now that clients know the firm has an office in North Carolina, which had long been a geographic area of interest to the firm.