Nixon Peabody and Stroock have called off the merger effort.
The effort first came to light a couple months ago, but after a number of Stroock partners abandoned ship, it appears that the deal is off. Those departures might not have had anything to do with the end of the deal, but… it couldn’t have helped.
Stroock is downplaying the decision to abandon talks.

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“Our discussions with Nixon Peabody were never exclusive,” the firm’s statement went on to say. “We have continued talks with other firms, we are making good progress with them and are excited about the opportunities they present.”
Based on merger documents obtained by Above the Law, it appeared as though the talks were reasonably advanced. Maybe some people plan weddings before going exclusive, but that’s not normally how law firms behave.
Stroock continues to seek a partner willing to shore up holes in the firm’s portfolio created by some high-profile departures. So if you’re a firm looking eager to merge, Stroock is willing to talk.
But I hope you’re not looking for anything exclusive, because I hear Stroock gets around.

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Stroock And Nixon Peabody Call Off Merger; Stroock Pursuing Other Combo Candidates [American Lawyer]
Joe Patrice is a senior editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. Feel free to email any tips, questions, or comments. Follow him on Twitter if you’re interested in law, politics, and a healthy dose of college sports news. Joe also serves as a Managing Director at RPN Executive Search.