Deciding whether a merger is the right route to growth

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A merger or alliance is rarely the only route to growth. Firms may also consider targeted lateral hiring, strengthened referral relationships or other forms of collaboration.Our work begins by helping firm leaders clarify:

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• What the firm is seeking to achieve strategically and commercially

• Which growth options are genuinely credible, given culture, resources and leadership capacity

• Whether a merger or alliance is the right response, or whether alternative routes may deliver the same objectives with lower risk

• Ensuring decisions are based on evidence and strategy opportunities rather than internal or external pressure

Selecting a potential partner and testing the strategic fit

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Where firms decide to explore combinations or alliances, disciplined selection is critical.

We support leadership teams in evaluating potential partners against criteria that matter in practice, including:

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• Strategic fit with the firm’s strengths, ambitions and client base

• Financial performance, profitability and economic compatibility

• Governance structures, ownership models and decision-making

• Cultural alignment and leadership expectations

• Implications for clients, people and the operating model

Testing the risks and assumptions before commitments are made

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Due diligence in a law-firm context extends well beyond financial and legal review. Many of the risks that undermine combinations sit in assumptions about behaviour, decision-making and how people will work together in practice.

Our work typically includes helping firms assess:

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• The sustainability and drivers of financial performance

• Differences in partner economics, incentives and compensation systems

• Governance arrangements, decision rights and how authority is exercised

• Cultural fit, assessed through observed behaviours, working practices and leadership norms

• Likely client, partner and team responses to change

• Integration challenges, execution risk and points of potential friction

 

This supports informed decision-making and reduces the risk of avoidable surprises once commitments are made.

Securing partner confidence and commitment

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We help leadership teams design clear decision processes and structured partner engagement, ensuring that partners understand the strategic rationale for the proposed approach, the alternative options considered and why they were not pursued, and the implications for roles, governance and partner economics. Partners also need clarity on how the firm will operate once a decision is taken, and what will be expected of them in practice.

 

At its core, this stage is about securing buy-in - even where a merger is compelling on paper, outcomes are often shaped less by the logic of the deal than by partner attitudes, behaviours and follow-through once decisions move from agreement to execution.

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• The rationale for the proposed approach

• The alternatives considered and why they were discounted

• The implications for roles, governance and economics

• What will be expected once a decision is taken

 

Alignment at this stage is critical to confidence, trust and effective execution.

Delivering what was promised

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A signed agreement marks the start of a new phase, not the end of the process.

Where firms proceed, we support practical and proportionate integration planning, including:

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• Leadership roles and governance for the combined firm

• Client continuity, relationship management and cross-firm working

• Compensation alignment and transition arrangements

• Cultural and operational integration priorities

 

The emphasis is on execution that partners understand, support and are capable of sustaining.

Discussing your options

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If your firm is considering a merger, alliance or other form of strategic growth, we would be happy to discuss how we might support you - whether at an early exploratory stage or as you prepare to take decisions.