Pinsent Masons and McGrigors Agree to Merge

The combined firm, which will operate worldwide under the name and brand of Pinsent Masons, will employ over 2500 people in total including over 1500 lawyers, 500 of whom will be based in Pinsent Masons' international headquarters in the City of London.

The firm will have market-leading UK coverage, with a significant presence in each of the UK's three legal jurisdictions. Its international profile, which already encompasses four offices in Asia Pacific, will include two offices in the Gulf (Dubai and Qatar). Two more offices in France and Germany are expected to launch during 2012.

Chris Mullen, senior partner of Pinsent Masons, says:

"We've been very encouraged by the strong support from among our clients and the resoundingly positive reception to the merger proposal by our partners. Each firm has great respect for the other's reputation and culture and recognises that we have a common heritage of quality coupled with ambitious plans to grow our capabilities even further. We believe this is the best way to deliver an even better offering to our UK and international clients who demand both a broad range of high quality services and excellent value. We're really looking forward to joining up and getting on with our plans together."

Richard Masters, managing partner of McGrigors, says:

"This deal is great news for clients of both firms and we are delighted to be merging with Pinsent Masons.  The merger is the result of a strong cultural and operational fit, with clients from both firms being major UK and international players. We believe that the new firm will provide a solid platform for growth, allowing us to become a clear market-leader in strategically key sectors."