Australian Law Firm Freehills merging With International Law Firm Herbert Smith
21 August 2012
Australian law firm Freehills will merge with international law firm Herbert Smith, according to statements from both firms. The firm partnerships voted overwhelmingly in favour of merging to create Herbert Smith Freehills.
The merged firm will have some 2,800 lawyers, including 460 partners and will be organized around global
practice groups. David Willis and Gavin Bell, the current managing partners of Herbert Smith and Freehills
respectively, will be joint CEOs of the merged firm, which will have 20 offices across Australia, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the United Kingdom.
“The merger will give Herbert Smith Freehills the platform to become the leading global law firm across Asia Pacific, a region likely to see continued substantial growth and to become an increasingly important part of the global legal services market,” said Bell. “Establishing from day one a single, integrated firm will give all partners the incentive to work together toward a set of shared goals and ensure a seamless service to clients.”
Launch of the new firm is subject to regulatory approvals and is targeted for October 1, 2012.
