Senior partners at Andersen Legal and KLegal are backing proposals to merge their practices, following talks between Andersen and KPMG to merge their businesses worldwide except in the United States.
The managing partners of Andersen Legal, Tony Williams and Patrick Bignon said: "We have been closely involved in these discussions and can see clear benefits for combining Andersen Legal with KLegal International, KPMG's associated network of legal practices. Like us, KLegal International has a clear strategy for being at the top end of the legal market."
The two Andersen Legal partners went on to say: "Our next step is to engage in discussions with both KPMG and KLegal International. Andersen Legal member firms have indicated that they are supportive of being able to keep working together as a worldwide organisation — working with KLegal International provides a clear way of achieving that goal."
In the UK, any merger would bring together KPMG's correspondent law firm and Garretts — Andersen Legal's firm. Tony Williams, managing partner of Garretts said: "We are exploring in detail the implications of linking our firms. We can see the benefits that a combination will bring, including the development of greater critical mass in the market and the ability to make a significant step forward in the market that will bring opportunities to both practices."
Partners at Garrigues and Andersen, the Spanish member firm of the Andersen network, will meet tomorrow to decide whether to proceed with plans to pull out of the network. Partners from the firm have indicated it intends to quit the international grouping.
