In a sweeping move that reshapes the global legal landscape, Ashurst LLP of the U.K. and Perkins Coie LLP of the U.S. announced Monday that they will unite to form a new $2.7 billion legal titan. The partnership—one of the most significant transatlantic tie-ups in recent years—creates Ashurst Perkins Coie, a top-20 global firm boasting nearly 3,000 lawyers.

Like two continents drifting together over centuries, the merger brings decades of expertise crashing into alignment, generating a force felt across the world’s most competitive legal markets.

A New Global Giant With 52 Offices

The newly formed Ashurst Perkins Coie will operate from 52 offices across 23 countries, anchoring itself with flagship hubs in Seattle, London, Sydney and New York. Additional specialist teams will remain in major financial centers such as Brussels, Dubai, Frankfurt, Hong Kong and Paris—a footprint designed to rival the world’s most expansive firms.

The combined practice will zero in on core high-growth sectors: technology, energy and infrastructure, and financial services.

Leadership Built for a Global Stage

The merged firm will be jointly led by Bill Malley, managing partner at Perkins Coie, and Paul Jenkins, global CEO of Ashurst, who will serve as global co-chief executives.
Karen Davies of Ashurst and Brian Eiting of Perkins Coie will take on co-chair roles.
Meanwhile, Mark Birnbaum, chair of Perkins Coie’s executive committee, will remain in his post until late 2025.

According to the firms, merger discussions began in February—though Ashurst had long signaled its ambition to expand meaningfully in the U.S.

A Strategic Union Years in the Making

“We have now found that partner,” Jenkins said, describing Perkins Coie as a firm with deep, trusted expertise positioned at the cutting edge of technological transformation. He cast the merger as a chance to launch a “truly differentiated global law firm.”

Perkins Coie brings formidable strengths in technology, corporate, litigation, IP, privacy and fintech, while Ashurst’s global presence and experience in cross-border transactions, financial services, real estate, and energy will broaden the combined firm’s reach.

Malley emphasized the firms’ shared future-oriented culture.
“Together, we will combine resources and expertise to accelerate growth and set new standards for world-class legal service,” he said.

A History of Growth and a Push Toward the U.S.

Ashurst’s global aspirations are longstanding. In 2013, it merged with Blake Dawson, giving it a strong foothold in Australia. More recently, Ashurst surpassed £1 billion ($1.32 billion) in revenue for the first time, marking major growth across its U.K. divisions.

Earlier in 2025, London managing partner Claire Dutch told Law360 that the firm was actively pursuing a U.S. partner and “had a mandate to consider all options.”

The pairing with Perkins Coie marks the third major U.S.–U.K. merger in three years, following:

• Allen & Overy LLP's merger with Shearman & Sterling LLP (2023)

• Herbert Smith Freehills LLP's merger with Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel (2025)

Both deals reshaped global legal competition—and Ashurst Perkins Coie is poised to push that transformation even further.

Political Turbulence at the Edges

The merger also emerges amid political ripples in the U.S. Earlier this year, President Donald Trump issued an executive order suspending Perkins Coie attorneys’ security clearances, citing concerns over the firm’s hiring practices and political ties, including work for Hillary Clinton.

A federal judge later blocked the order as unconstitutional and retaliatory, though the U.S. Justice Department has vowed to appeal.