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Law Firm Merger Mania

By Stony Olsen

Lots of law firm merger news lately. With the current slump in the industry, it’s not surprising that some law firms are
looking to be snapped up.

09/08/08
Currently, there’s news about three
deals — two rumors of potential
mergers, and one merger that fell
through.
First, Thelen Reid Brown Raysman
& Steiner is in merger talks with
Nixon Peabody, according to the National Law Journal. Thelen
Reid has been in the news a lot of late, and merger talks have
surfaced. Several partners for Thelen recently left the firm
quite suddenly, which usually is a sign of trouble brewing.
Additionally, the firm laid off around 26 associates earlier
this year. If the two firms combine, the new one will have
around 1,150 attorneys, assuming current staffing levels are
maintained (which may be a big assumption).
Heller Ehrman is the second firm known to be considering a
merger. In fact, Heller has been looking for a suitor for a while
now. Recently, the firm was turned down by Baker & McKenzie.
Now Heller is apparently in talks with Mayer Brown, though
it’s allegedly still keeping its options open. If the merger does
happen, the combined firm would consist of nearly 2,000
attorneys.
And now for the merger that fell through. The New York office
of Gunderson Dettmer — about 30 attorneys — was all set to
move to Cooley Godward. In fact, the Gunderson attorneys
had even been given new Cooley gear, such as Blackberries,
laptops, etc., and had been set up with new email accounts
and everything.
On the Friday before Labor Day, however, Gunderson’s New
York managing partner just called up and canceled the deal,
for reasons that haven’t yet been released. This blindsided
Cooley, naturally. No word on whether the laptops and
blackberries have been returned.

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