Partners at Winston & Strawn and Taylor Wessing have formally approved their anticipated merger, the law firms said on Friday, setting the stage for the legal industry’s latest major transatlantic combination.
The combined firm, Winston Taylor, is expected to launch in May with more than 1,400 lawyers in 20 offices globally.
Chicago-founded Winston & Strawn and Taylor Wessing’s UK business said in December that they planned to merge. Winston Taylor will have an estimated $1.75 billion in combined annual revenue, according to the new firm’s website.
The deal comes amid a string of major transatlantic law firm mergers in recent years. London-founded Ashurst and Seattle-founded Perkins Coie have said that they plan to combine in the third quarter of the year, creating a firm with 3,000 lawyers and $2.7 billion in revenue, subject to a partnership vote.
Global firm Hogan Lovells and New York-based Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft have also agreed to merge, creating a firm with 3,100 lawyers and $3.6 billion in annual revenue. The deal is also awaiting a partnership vote.
Merger activity in the legal sector increased by 18% year-over-year in 2025, according to figures published by law firm consultancy Fairfax Associates.
Taylor Wessing is structured as a Swiss verein, with regional divisions that operate under a shared banner but as largely separate legal entities.
Taylor Wessing’s UK business, which includes lawyers in the UK, Ireland, Dubai and San Francisco, will merge with Winston & Strawn under the deal. Taylor Wessing’s operations in the Netherlands and Belgium have also voted to operate under the Winston Taylor brand and integrate into a single firm, subject to approvals, the firms said.
The newly-combined firm has also agreed to a referral relationship with the rest of the verein, they said.
Source: Reuters.com