Biglaw

Pepper Hamilton And Troutman Sanders Planning To Merge

Two firms look to create another 1,000+ attorney firm.

By  
on

Two Biglaw firms are engaged in advanced merger talks with an eye toward creating a new 1,000-attorney firm with over $800M in revenue. Philadelphia-based Pepper Hamilton and Atlanta-headquartered Troutman Sanders confirmed the negotiations are underway in statements sent around this afternoon.

The merger would combine Am Law 68th-ranked Troutman with Am Law 105-ranked Pepper Hamilton. The firms boast a combined 26 offices, some of which will have to be merged — both firms have outposts in New York, D.C., and Orange County — but all in all, the firms are mostly not stepping on each other’s turf.

The move gives Pepper access to the Chicago market and Troutman access to Boston and Philadelphia. Combined, the firms will have a robust California presence with attorneys in Orange County, L.A., San Diego, San Francisco, and Silicon Valley.

The major sticking point in a lot of mergers — synchronizing business expectations — doesn’t seem to be an issue with the firms. Troutman has an RPL of $809K, while Pepper says its RPL is $789K, making for a relatively small gap. When it comes to PPP, Troutman is just barely in the million-dollar club but Pepper is sitting at $830K. That’s a tougher chasm to cross, but given the geographies involved, it may not be as big a deal as it seems.

There’s still a long way to go before this is all wrapped up. Pepper was trying to tie up with Reed Smith and that fell through, so nothing should be taken for granted. But a public announcement is a huge step in the process.

Sponsored

Topics

, , ,