On Friday, two major firms I have deeply respected for many years – Eversheds, the global powerhouse based in London, and Sutherland Asbill & Brennan, the exemplary American firm based in Atlanta  – announced a merger that changes the multinational legal game.

I have known and watched both firms for a long time. Mark Wasserman, long-time managing partner of Sutherland Asbill & Brennan, has been offering great leadership to that wonderful firm for over a decade. In my view, the hook up with Eversheds is a real coup for both firms — “win-win.”  Given the sophistication of each firm individually, the combination is going to be a formidable competitor wherever it chooses to practice.

An announcement in Bloomberg’s Big Law Business says that “the deal is expected to create a law firm with more than 2,300 lawyers across 31 offices in 29 countries. It would place the firm among the 40 largest in the world by revenue, with more than $900 million, according to 2015 financial figures in The American Lawyer.” The article reports that the firm will launch on Feb. 1, 2017 under the name Eversheds Sutherland, and will specialize in tax, litigation, financial services, insurance, energy, corporate and real estate.

I offer enthusiastic congratulations to both firms and can not wait to watch this story unfold.

As always, I welcome your thoughts on this and any other matter related to the law, either in the comments section below or directly via email.