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:
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Allen & Overy LLP’s merger with Shearman & Sterling LLP (2023)
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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.
