They are ?
They aren’t…it’s official. Although we notice only a “spokesman” is quoted by Lawyers Weekly Australia which tells us in no uncertain terms what the firms would really like to say is …“bugger off and leave us alone, if we decide on something we’ll tell you after its done and dusted”
Two firms with distinct Australian presences have clarified whether they’re in the midst of merger talks, following rumours being spread throughout the profession.
Sources told Lawyers Weekly that Norton Rose Fulbright and Henry Davis York were in the midst of merger talks.
There was significant speculation that one of the reasons behind it was HDY’s strong banking and finance practice.
Lawyers Weekly reached out to both NRF and HDY on separate occasions earlier this month, asking them to comment on the growing speculation about the merger.
At the time, both declined to comment. However, today an NRF spokesman told Lawyers Weekly that the two firms are not merging, despite the rumours circulating in the legal industry.
“There is often market speculation about mergers in the global and Australian context,” the spokesman said.
“We, like many firms, are subject to such speculation from time to time. As you would expect, we often talk to people and firms in jurisdictions around the world, about all sorts of possibilities.
“We are currently focused on building out our practice in the Asia-Pacific region, most recently in Papua New Guinea, and elsewhere, and are constantly evaluating different ways of doing this.”
Meanwhile, an HDY spokesperson said the firm has no plans to undertake a merger, according to The Australia Financial Review’s Street Talk column.
However, the spokesperson did tell the AFR: “HDY, as should any law firm in the Australian legal market, talks to other firms all the time on a range of subjects”.
