Lovells, Hogan & Hartson Firms To Merge

NU Online News Service, Dec.15, 1:40 p.m. EST

Lovells LLP, a firm with a large insurance practice, and Hogan & Hartson LLP, a Washington-based law firm said their respective partnerships have approved the merger of their international firms.

The joint announcement said the combination will be known as Hogan Lovells, effective May 1, 2010.

According to a Lovells spokesperson, the London-based firm has U.S. offices in New York and Chicago with 35 percent of the partners specializing in the insurance and reinsurance fields and about 25 percent of the firm's business stemming from insurance clients.

Hogan Lovells will have total revenues of approximately $1.8 billion and 2,500 lawyers in 40 offices throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America, the firms said.

The proposed combination, which is the first transatlantic "merger of equals" in the legal sector, is a response to the increasing need by large multinational clients for high quality legal advice on complex, cross-border transactions, disputes and commercial matters, the two firms said.

Their deal, it was explained, also reflects the increased emphasis on regulation in the global market place and the complex legal issues involved in the United State and European Union markets particularly, but also in other markets such as China

The new Hogan Lovells will be jointly led by current Hogan & Hartson Chairman, Warren Gorrell, and Lovells Managing Partner, David Harris, as Co-CEOs.

Hogan Lovells will be an international legal practice represented in all the major legal markets of the world and is expected to comprise Hogan Lovells US LLP, Hogan Lovells International LLP, a Swiss Verein, and their affiliated businesses.