Partners at Perkins Coie and Ashurst voted to combine the two firms, resulting in a $2.8 billion, 3,000-lawyer entity by the third quarter of the year.
“This vote confirms the strong alignment between our firms and our joint ambition for the future,” Ashurst global CEO Paul Jenkins said in Monday’s joint announcement. Jenkins and Perkins Coie managing partner Bill Malley say they’ll lead the combined firm, Ashurst Perkins Coie, as co-CEOs.
Leaders said partners “overwhelmingly” voted for the approval. The merger will expand Seattle-born Perkins Coie’s presence in the UK and bring its services to Sydney, Australia. Meanwhile, Ashurst, a UK-born law firm, views the merger as its key to major US cities.
The firms are vying for a platform that mixes Perkins’ deep bench of tech attorneys with Ashurst’s strength in financial services and energy practices. Leaders say those industries are key client sectors that are converging with each other.
“This combination will create a global firm that will enable us to deliver truly global solutions seamlessly across borders and practice areas to meet our clients’ ambitions around the world,” Karen Davies, the global chair of Ashurst, said in the announcement.
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