| The second quarter of 2013 will see Norton Rose and Fulbright tie the knot in a combination that will boost the practice by number of lawyers and gross revenue to make it one of the top 10 largest firms in the world. The Texan-based Fulbright will provide the British titan Norton Rose with a substantial foothold in the US market once the merger is complete, and this is significant given that the US represents 50 percent of the world’s legal market. Conversely, Fulbright will benefit from a much wider reach: expanding to previously uncharted markets.
The new firm will be known as Norton Rose Fulbright and the combination will generate a 3,800 strong team of lawyers with 55 offices scattered around the globe. As is the case with several of the big players, Norton Rose operates a Swiss Verein structure and Fulbright will become a member of the Verein following the merger in June 2013. The combination between the two firms is set to shore up strengths in the energy, litigation, IP and banking and finance sectors. According to Peter Martyr, Chief Executive, Norton Rose, “Fulbright & Jaworski meets all our critieria: it is financially strong, with forward-looking management and it has similar strategic growth aspirations.” The firm also expects to launch offices in the emerging growth markets including Latin America, Africa and additional offices in Asia. |
