 Eversheds has merged with US law firm Sutherland Asbill & Brennan after partners at both practices voted through the combination.
The new firm will be known as Eversheds Sutherland and will formally launch on February 1, 2017 to create a law firm with more than 4,000 people, including over 700 partners, and operations across 61 offices and 29 countries. “This is a significant development for Eversheds and in line with our strategic objective to develop a truly global offering for our clients,” said Stephen Kitts, managing partner of Eversheds in Asia. “Our shared vision with Sutherland is that in joining forces, we will be able to offer the clients of both firms access to a broader and importantly, a global service offering of the highest quality.” Eversheds Sutherland will have combined revenues of close to US$1 billion, though the two firms will continue to operate as separate financial entities, with the chief executives of both Eversheds and Sutherland — Lee Ranson (after he takes over from Bryan Hughes in May) and Mark Wasserman, respectively — jointly overseeing a global executive that will have equal representation from both firms. Sutherland is headquartered in Atlanta and has offices in Washington DC, New York, Houston, Austin and Sacramento in the US, as well as in London and Geneva in Europe. It will add more than 600 people, including 170 partners, to the combined firm. The deal represents the culmination of a determined effort during the past couple of years by Eversheds to build its presence in the US. It had reportedly been in talks late last year with Milwaukee-based firm Foley & Lardner. Eversheds is also expected to merge with Harry Elias Partnership in Singapore during the first half of 2017. |
