Big Law Mergers Pop as Firms Hit Gas in Industry’s Race to Scale

A Philadelphia law firm picked up a Seattle-based competitor. A Southeast-founded firm gobbled up a Southwest operation. And two firms voted to create a new, 1,600-lawyer mammoth expected to be among the country’s 30 largest.

Mergers have taken center stage with news of Big Law partners voting to approve three tie-ups of large firms in the span of six days. Consolidation is accelerating as competitors seek scale to bolster credentials, access clients and talent in new markets, and spread the growing costs of running law firms over more lawyers.

“More and more firms are appreciating the benefits of scale and ...