The summer has been an exceptionally busy time for Fox Williams which has confirmed its place as the preeminent firm for both international and domestic law firm mergers.
In the last three months it has acted for:
- Fulbright & Jaworski LLP in its June 2013 merger with Norton Rose which created Top 10 global practice Norton Rose Fulbright with 3,800 lawyers and 55 offices internationally;
- Specialist aviation and aerospace law firm Gates and Partners in its merger with Kennedys which went live on 1 June, taking the Kennedys partner count to 176; and
- Habib Al Mulla, one of the most respected and well-established law firms in the United Arab Emirates on its July 2013 merger with global law firm Baker & McKenzie.
Partner Tina Williams led on all three transactions. Employment partner Joanna Chatterton and associate Paula Volkmer were part of the team acting on the Norton Rose Fulbright merger. Partner Douglas Preece worked alongside Tina on the Gates and Partners/Kennedys merger and associate Wendy Mah assisted on the Habib Al Mulla/Baker & McKenzie merger.
Commenting on the experience, Tina said: “Each of these mergers had its own singular significant issues, determined both by the jurisdictions concerned and the cultures of the firms involved. The common denominator in all three mergers was the hard work that went into testing the existence of a strong strategic fit and ensuring that by the time the deal came to be signed there were no surprises on either side. Building the consensus among partners was also of vital importance, which of course is down to good leadership.”
Continuing the busy period, Fox Williams has since acted on the sale of Taylor Vinters’ successful personal injury and Court of Protection practice to Slater & Gordon. Tina Williams was again lead adviser on the sale, assisted by senior associate Daniel Sutherland and associate Sarah McGaffin.
