Mapped: Herbert Smith Freehills & Kramer Levin merger

Earlier this week, Herbert Smith Freehills and Kramer Levin announced their plans to merge. The combination would create a law firm of around 2,700 lawyers and $2 billion of revenue. The Partner vote is due to take place in February 2025 and if approved, the merged firm would rank in the top 25 globally.

Using publicly-available data from Pirical Legal Professionals (PLP), we've taken a look at which locations & practices would grow under the merger and where Herbert Smith Freehills might sit relative to rival UK firms seeking to expand in the United States.

Herbert Smith Freehills will gain a stronger foothold in the US if the merger with Kramer Levin goes ahead

Global map of Herbert Smith Freehills office locations

Global map of Herbert Smith Freehills office locations with Kramer Levin growth areas

Current Post-merger

Both firms have similar levels of practice area depth and would strengthen shared practices such as Litigation, Corporate and Finance

Practice area depth comparison - Herbert Smith Freehills and Kramer Levin

Herbert Smith Freehills could catch up with UK rivals in the US should the merger go ahead

Both firms can expect to lose a small number of Partners between now and the completion of the merger

Partner headcount decline between merger announcement and completion, sample of recent mergers

Written using data from Pirical Legal Professionals (PLP)

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