On the Menu: 2025 Law Firm Merger Summer Sampler
We've seen a significant increase in merger activity in the first half of 2025. A 21% increase compared to 2024, to be exact. Broader market pressures are pushing firms to evaluate their strategic positions more urgently than in previous years. The widening gap between their size and profitability compared to their competitors is accelerating, impacting their client and talent market share. The pressure is particularly acute in markets like New York, where regional firms increasingly compete with larger national and global rivals.
The most telling indicator of market dynamics may be the compressed timelines we're seeing. Unlike previous merger cycles where deals took eight months or more from announcement to closure, several recent combinations have moved from initial discussions to completion in just a few months. This urgency suggests firms are acting from positions of strategic foresight rather than waiting until circumstances force their hand.
Notable Tasty Summer Combinations
McDermott Will & Emery + Schulte Roth & Zabel
The combination eof "McDermott Will & Schulte Roth & Zabel" represents one of the largest mergers in recent years, bringing together more than 1,650 lawyers with combined revenue exceeding $2.8 billion. The deal, which closed August 1, positions the combined firm as a potential new top 20 Am Law firm. Cultural alignment and complementary practices were key drivers behind the combination, with McDermott's strengths in healthcare and tax pairing well with Schulte's fund and private capital practices.
Herbert Smith Freehills + Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel
This transatlantic combination merged London-based Herbert Smith Freehills (2,331 lawyers) with New York's Kramer Levin (337 lawyers) to form Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer. The merger, completed June 1, is expected to generate around $2.7 billion in revenue and reflects the pressure facing New York regional firms to achieve greater scale and international reach.
Stevens & Lee + Duffy & Sweeney
Reading, Pennsylvania-headquartered Stevens & Lee used this merger to enter New England, adding 16 attorneys from the Providence, Rhode Island boutique. The combination pushes Stevens & Lee over the 200-attorney threshold and establishes the "Duffy & Sweeney Division of Stevens & Lee" to preserve the acquired firm's strong regional brand recognition.
Taft Stettinius & Hollister + Mrachek Law
Am Law 100 firm Taft completed its eighth merger by acquiring the 18-lawyer West Palm Beach litigation boutique, pushing the firm's 2025 attorney growth past 200 lawyers. The acquisition follows Taft's January combination with Sherman & Howard and reinforces the firm's aggressive expansion strategy, with CEO Robert Hicks noting that the firm has grown by at least 30% following every merger.
Crowell & Moring + Faber Daeufer & Itrato
Crowell launched its Boston office by combining with the 24-lawyer life sciences boutique, continuing the Am Law 100 firm's strategic expansion of transactional capabilities. The move positions Crowell to serve Boston's thriving biotech sector while adding specialized expertise in drug development, licensing, and emerging technology transactions.
Fennemore Craig + BurnsBarton (May) + Galvanize Law
The Am Law Second Hundred firm completed two strategic boutique acquisitions this summer. The May combination with Arizona employment firm BurnsBarton (5 attorneys) nearly doubled Fennemore's Phoenix employment practice, while July's acquisition of Denver construction boutique Galvanize Law (8 attorneys) strengthened the firm's presence in Colorado's active construction market.
McLaughlin & Stern + Krass Snow & Schmutter
The New York mid-size firm acquired the 6-attorney trust and estates boutique, adding founders Stephen Krass and Lee Snow as partners. The combination reflects the ongoing trend of boutique acquisitions by mid-size firms seeking to strengthen practice areas and serve clients more comprehensively.
Maynard Nexsen + Miller Lavoie
The Am Law 200 firm doubled its Atlanta headcount by acquiring the real estate boutique, adding 8 attorneys, including 4 new shareholders. The move supports Maynard Nexsen's strategy to establish a full-service Atlanta office and enhances its national real estate practice, which comprises 90 attorneys.
Many firms state a strategic intention on fit and cultural alignment over pure scale considerations. They are recognizing that sustainable growth requires more than just adding lawyer headcount—it demands careful attention to shared values, complementary practice strengths, and long-term vision. This more thoughtful approach to mergers has proven to drive better outcomes as firms navigate an increasingly competitive legal market, that is beginning to feel like "evolve or die".
Yet there is an apparent tension between this emphasis on cultural compatibility and strategic alignment and the accelerated timelines we're witnessing. The question becomes whether firms can truly conduct the deep cultural due diligence necessary for lasting partnerships when deals move from initial conversations to closure in a matter of months, rather than the traditional eight- to twelve-month timeframe. The market's urgency may be testing whether the industry's stated commitment to thoughtful integration can withstand the competitive pressures driving faster decision-making. Time - and the lateral market - will tell.