Mallesons merger back on?
Are the Mallesons and Clifford Chance merger talks back on the table, or is that just scuttlebutt?
Crikey's Tips and Rumours reports today that Scuttlebutt in London says a merger between Mallesons Stephen Jaques and the UK's Clifford Chance is back on the table. The New Lawyer put the rumour to Mallesons, which replied: "Scuttlebutt is the right word. It's just gossip."
The UK mega firm had abandoned merger talks with the Australian firm in December last year. At the time the global financial crisis was blamed for the cancelled merger. Had it gone ahead, the merger would have created a global legal giant with more than 800 partners, offices on every continent and estimated revenues of more than $3.5 billion.