Norton Rose and Chadbourne discussing a potential merger

International law firms Norton Rose Fulbright and Chadbourne & Parke have issued separate statements about discussing a potential combination. 

News of the potential merger were first reported by The Lawyer in the UK. If the merger goes ahead, the combined entity will be home to about 4000 lawyers and a revenue of over $2 billion. 

A spokesman for Chadbourne said: “We have been in discussions with Norton Rose Fulbright about a potential combination.  A prospective union has the potential to enhance our capabilities and add tremendous value for the clients of both firms, but there are still a number of considerations left in this process, and it is premature to discuss these in any detail.  We hope to have something to report on this soon.”

The statement from Norton Rose confirmed the discussions, adding “We believe that the combination would provide an even stronger global platform for our clients, who would also benefit from our compatibility in both practice and industry focus. We will make no further comment on this matter until discussions with our partnership have concluded.”

Norton Rose is a verein with over 50 offices globally. It has three bases in Latin America: Bogota and Caracas which where inherited from legacy Macleod Dixon, a Canadian law firm Norton Rose acquired in 2012; and and outpost in Rio de Janeiro, as foreign law consultants. 

Chadbourne and Parke is headquartered in New York, where it shares the same building as Norton Rose, and has 12 offices worldwide.  Chadbourne has a presence in Mexico City since 2008 and in Sao Paulo since 2010. Neither law firm has a base in Spain.