Mapped: What Would the Winston & Strawn and Taylor Wessing Merger Look Like?
Last Friday, news broke that Winston & Strawn and Taylor Wessing are planning to merge. The combination would create Winston Taylor, a transatlantic law firm of around 1,400 lawyers and a combined revenue of more than $1.75bn.
The merger will not include all of Taylor Wessing's operations and is set to trigger a split of the Swiss verein structure. The firm's UK-led business (which includes the UK, Ireland, Dubai, and San Francisco) will exit the Taylor Wessing verein in order to combine with Winston & Strawn. Taylor Wessing Netherlands (which includes the Netherlands and Belgium) is also set to follow. This will primarily leave the firm's German operation of over 230 Partners to form a new structure.
The announcement is the latest in a number of major merger stories. If approved, it will mean yet another transatlantic combination, since the establishment of A&O Shearman and HSF Kramer. It also follows the news of recent merger discussions between Alston & Bird and Cadwalader, and Ashurst and Perkins Coie.
Using publicly-available data tracked by Pirical Legal Professionals (PLP), we've taken a look at which locations & practices would grow under the merger, and how many Partners might be expected to leave throughout the talks.
By Merging With Taylor Wessing, Winston & Strawn Would Bolster Their European Footprint, Primarily in London
Winston & Strawn would increase Partner headcount in London (+118), Brussels (+5), and likely the Bay Area (+4). The firm will also expand into several new locations; Amsterdam (+15), Eindhoven (+13), Dublin (+11), Dubai (+5), and Cambridge (+4).
Taylor Wessing's Depth in Corporate, Litigation, and Real Estate Means Winston & Strawn Would Expand in Those Practice Areas
Both Firms Could Expect to Lose a Small Number of Partners Between Now and the Completion of the Merger
Note on methodology
Source: publicly-available data tracked by Pirical Legal Professionals (PLP)
Notes: Based on all current Taylor Wessing Partners staying post-merger, attorneys with multiple locations have been equally distributed across each
Timeframe: Data as of December 2025
Analysis powered by Pirical Legal Professionals (PLP)
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