Taylor Wessing‘s UK arm is in talks to combine with US firm Winston & Strawn, in a transatlantic tie-up that could create a firm with combined revenue of around £1.23bn ($1.65bn).
The proposed union is expected to see Taylor Wessing’s European verein splitting apart, with the German and French partnerships understood to be outside the merger discussions. The Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland and Middle East offices are understood to be part of the merger talks.
In a statement, the firms said: ‘Winston & Strawn and Taylor Wessing UK confirm that they are in discussions regarding a potential combination, which would build upon the complementary strengths, shared ambitions, and combined international reach of the two firms going forward.’
The firms went on to add that ‘there is nothing to formally announce at this stage’.
In its most recent financial results, Taylor Wessing reported a 15% increase in UK revenue to £283.7m, with UK profit per equity partner (PEP) up to £1.1m.
Topline turnover for Taylor Wessing’s entire business, including France and Germany, stood at £526.2m (€619m) for 2024-25, up 10% from £480.7m in the previous year’s financial results.
Winston, meanwhile, recorded revenue of $1.27bn (£946m) in 2024, with net profit of $410m and PEP of $3.5m (£2.6m). The firm has 10 US offices and a small presence in London and Paris.
Taylor Wessing has long sought to build a platform in the US, with the firm initially signing a non-exclusive relationship with West Coast tech firm Wilson Sonsini in 2019.
News of the merger plans come only weeks after Perkins Coie and Ashurst announced their own plans to combine, in a financially integrated merger that would create a firm with revenue of around $2.7bn, with roughly 3,000 lawyers worldwide.
If voted through, the merger would see the two firms unite as Ashurst Perkins Coie, a firm that would focus on tech, energy & infrastructure and financial services. Partners at both firms are expected to vote on the deal next spring and, if successful, the merger would go live in the middle of 2026.
