International law firm Bird & Bird has announced a merger with Sydney-based Truman Hoyle. The merger will go live on November 3, 2014, bringing the number of Bird & Bird offices around the world to 27. The merger with Truman Hoyle follows a successful cooperation agreement which the two firms entered into in March 2013.

The new Australia office will be run by Shane Barber, the current managing partner of Truman Hoyle. On the day of the merger the total headcount in Bird & Bird Australia will be 42. Bird & Bird has a long-term presence in Asia and the Pacific with offices in Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong and Singapore. Over the last 18 months the firm has experienced a period of rapid growth in the region with a series of strategic cooperation agreements which have included Hwang Mok Park in Korea in March 2014 and K&K Advocates and Nurjadin Sumono Mulyadi & Partners in Indonesia in June 2014.