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Ashurst & Perkins Coie Announce Landmark $2.7bn Merger
Ashurst has announced a $2.7bn transatlantic merger with Perkins Coie, creating Ashurst Perkins Coie, a top-20 global law firm by revenue.
Key Facts
- Combined revenue: ~$2.7bn
- Lawyers: 3,000+
- Offices: 50+ worldwide
- Sectors of focus: Technology, energy & infrastructure, financial services
- Expected closing: Q3 2026 (subject to partner vote)
- Leadership:
-- Co-CEOs: Paul Jenkins (Ashurst) & Bill Malley (Perkins Coie)
-- Co-Chairs: Karen Davies (Ashurst) & Brian Eiting (Perkins Coie)
- Hub Locations: Seattle, London, Sydney, New YorkWhy This Merger Matters
This is one of the most significant transatlantic tie-ups since Allen & Overy and Shearman & Sterling’s $3.5bn merger last year. For firms like Ashurst, the US market remains the holy grail for global expansion, given its profitability and the dominance of US clients in high-value work.
Perkins Coie brings:
Heavyweight US presence (17 US offices)
strong tech, corporate, litigation, privacy, and IP practices
Ashursts contributes:
global cross-border transactional capability
Deep expertise in energy, financial services, and real estate
Together, they give an immediately broader client offering across the world’s most active practice areas.
What’s Driving Big Law Mergers?
Legal industry advisors describe this as a “transactional deal”, pointing to several trends reshaping the market:
1) Scale = Competitive Edge
More lawyers mean:
greater market visibility
the ability to attract higher-value work and top talent
enhanced profitability through higher rates and better leverage
2) Data Advantage
Larger firms gather richer client and matter data, helping them:
pitch more effectively
deliver better outcomes
streamline operations
3) Client demand for global coverage
Multinational clients increasingly expect:
one firm to handle cross-border matters
seamless services across multiple jurisdictions
specialising in emerging areas like tech, private credit, and infrastructure
Ashurst Perkins Coie is positioned to meet this demand immediately.
M&A in Big Law is Accelerating
47 US law firm mergers completed in the first 3 quarters of 2025 (up from 43 in 2024)
While most are small/mid-sized tie-ups, momentum is building for large international combinations.
Firms are also adapting through:
new compensation methods
partnership restructuring
increase lateral hiring
Advisors predict “much more to come”.
Client Opportunities for the New Firm
The merger enables:
Ashurst clients with US needs to access Perkins Coie’s strengths
Perkins Coie clients to tap Ashurst’s international network
This is expected to create deeper, long-term institutional client relationships — exactly what major firms want to secure long-term profitability and cross-practice collaboration.
Why Aspiring Solicitors Should Pay Attention
This merger highlights the evolving expectations of future lawyers:
Cross-border thinking is essential
Clients increasingly want international capability—trainees in global firms must be commercially aware of geopolitical, regulatory, and cross-jurisdictional issues.
Sector specialisation continues to grow
Tech, energy, infrastructure, and financial services remain at the heart of high-value work.
The US market remains critical
Understanding the US regulatory trends, litigation culture, and deal dynamics is becoming vital for commercial lawyers in the UK.
Mergers reshape training opportunities
New hubs, cross-office collaborating, secondment routes, and practice group investments may arise from this tie-up.
Interview/ Application questions
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What challenges are facing law firms today?
Legal Lingo
Strategic Market Entry
Strategic market entry describes the deliberate and planned way law firms expand into a new geopolitical market (such as the US, UK, Middle East, or Asia-Pacific) to access new clients, high-value work, and long-term growth opportunities.
In the Ashurst-Perkins Coie, strategic market entry is central. Ashurst has been seeking the right route into the US markets for years, and this merger provides exactly that.
And More…
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