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Ashurst (UK) and Perkins Coie (US) have agreed to merge, becoming the third major UK–US tie-up after A&O Shearman and HSF Kramer. Interestingly, this merger is being structured as a genuine 50–50 partnership: Ashurst’s CEO, Paul Jenkins, and Perkins Coie’s managing partner, Bill Malley, will act as global co-chiefs of the combined firm. This contrasts with the A&O Shearman merger, where A&O was clearly the dominant party, and more closely resembles the balance seen in HSF Kramer.
More broadly, this merger reflects a wider trend: UK firms are increasingly expanding into the US market. Perhaps this is partly a response to large US firms entering London and raising competition. Even firms not choosing to merge, such as Freshfields, are investing heavily in their US presence, as they aim to position themselves as global elite firms.
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