Biglaw Behemoth CMS May Be Thinking About Finding A U.S. Merger Partner
The recent A&O Shearman combination may have inspired this international Biglaw giant to explore a relationship with a U.S. firm.
Ed. note: Welcome to our daily feature, Quote of the Day.
I would like CMS to be one of what I think will be a small number of truly global firms. I think there are lots of international firms and many firms who describe themselves as global, but they tend to be based in the larger financial centres of the world. We have a slightly different approach with our broader geographic and practice coverage. [But] to be truly global, we need a presence in the U.S.
That is still very much high on my agenda. We have been through a lot of mergers over the time that I’ve been here, and the one thing that I think is consistent about all of them is that they depend on cultural alignment to be successful.
— Charles Currier, senior partner of CMS, in comments given to Law.com International on the firm’s appetite for a merger with a U.S.-based firm in the wake of the A&O Shearman deal, which the firm continues to watch “watching with interest.” CMS has more than 5,800 lawyers spread across 80+ offices in more than 40 countries. Currier went on to say that he’d “much rather that we take our time to find the right fit and the right partner, than rush into a deal—particularly in response to things that other firms might be doing in the market.” Although the firm has no immediate merger plans, Currier said CMS has spoken to a number of U.S. firms in the past.
Staci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on X/Twitter and Threads or connect with her on LinkedIn.
