Locke Lord, Edwards Wildman to Explore Merger

September 10, 2014 – The management teams of Locke Lord LLP and Edwards Wildman Palmer LLP have signed a Letter of Intent to combine the two law firms. If a combination is achieved, the combined firm – Locke Lord Edwards LLP – would have more than 1,000 lawyers in 23 cities around the globe.

Locke Lord’s Chair, Jerry Clements, and Edwards Wildman’s Managing Partner, Alan Levin, jointly announced the proposed combination, which is subject to the negotiation and execution of mutually acceptable transaction documents and partner approval. If approved, the combination would occur in early 2015, with Clements serving as Chair of the new firm. Locke Lord Edwards would have gross revenues of approximately $675 million, placing it among the top 50 U.S. law firms listed in The American Lawyer’s annual AmLaw 100 rankings.

“We are excited about the possibilities of a combination that would tie together two strong firms with excellent reputations and a focus on providing clients with a broad range of legal services to meet their increasingly complex needs around the globe,” said Clements. “Our two firms share many similarities – exceptional and well-respected lawyers; a wide geographical footprint in the United States and abroad; and highly regarded practices, including energy, private equity, insurance and reinsurance, intellectual property, litigation, real estate, health care, technology and finance. We will spend the next few months working on details and introductions, and hopefully be able to move forward together in a way that offers increasing breadth and depth to our clients. Both firms have been through a number of successful combinations, but we think this one opens the door for something truly transformational.”

“Our firms complement each other very well, and the newly combined firm will put us in a better position to offer solid experience across a broader range of practices and industries from offices located throughout the United States, Europe and Asia,” added Levin, who would serve as one of the Vice Chairs in the new firm. “It was critical that we find a firm similar to us not only in its commitment to client service, but also in culture and vision, as well as a shared commitment to diversity and community involvement. Locke Lord has all of those attributes, and more.”

Locke Lord consistently ranks among The American Lawyer’s top 100 U.S. law firms. The Firm’s full range  of practice and industry areas serve national and international clients from offices in Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, Dallas, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, Sacramento, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. It has an excellent reputation in complex litigation, regulatory and transactional work, with its 630 lawyers building collaborative relationships and crafting creative solutions – all designed and executed to meet clients’ long-term strategic goals.

Edwards Wildman is a full-service, international law firm ranked in The American Lawyer’s top 100 U.S. law firms. The firm’s 16 offices and 450 lawyers are in Boston, Chicago, Hartford, Hong Kong, Istanbul, London, Los Angeles, Miami, Morristown, New York City, Orange County, Providence, Stamford, Tokyo, Washington, D.C., and West Palm Beach. Their lawyers are known internationally for their work in private equity and venture capital, complex litigation, insurance & reinsurance, technology & intellectual property, and public finance.