{"id":119652,"date":"2025-05-19T17:00:43","date_gmt":"2025-05-20T01:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2025\/05\/19\/proposed-biglaw-merger-will-create-new-top-20-am-law-firm-new-top-new-york-firm\/"},"modified":"2025-05-19T17:00:43","modified_gmt":"2025-05-20T01:00:43","slug":"proposed-biglaw-merger-will-create-new-top-20-am-law-firm-new-top-new-york-firm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2025\/05\/19\/proposed-biglaw-merger-will-create-new-top-20-am-law-firm-new-top-new-york-firm\/","title":{"rendered":"Proposed Biglaw Merger Will Create New Top 20 Am Law Firm, New Top New York Firm"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Earlier this month, McDermott Will &amp; Emery and Schulte Roth &amp; Zabel made the <a href=\"https:\/\/abovethelaw.com\/2025\/05\/biglaw-merger-talks-could-create-new-2-billion-firm\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">surprise announcement that they\u2019d been in merger talks<\/a>, noting that they were \u201cfinalizing a transformative combination.\u201d The merged firm would have more than 1,650 lawyers and a combined revenue of more than $2.8 billion, which would likely land it in the Am Law Top 20. <\/p>\n<p>In a recent interview with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.law.com\/newyorklawjournal\/2025\/05\/19\/mcdermott-and-schulte-with-merger-vote-within-months-plan-for-top-ny-office\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">American Lawyer<\/a>, it was revealed that partners are expected to vote on the proposed merger within 90 days, and leaders at both firms seem confident about where things are headed. Although a combined firm name hasn\u2019t been reached yet, McDermott chair Ira Coleman isn\u2019t letting it get to him. \u201cWe\u2019re just, you know, taxiing down the runway,\u201d Coleman told Am Law\u2019s Patrick Smith. \u201cSo much to do. We\u2019re gonna try to build the plane while we\u2019re flying in, and we will never let this affect our client service.\u201d (Let\u2019s hope that runway isn\u2019t in Newark, New Jersey.)<\/p>\n<p>Not only is this merger expected to create a top Biglaw firm, but a marriage between McDermott and Schulte will also create a top New York firm. Am Law has the details:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>The combined firm would create one of the largest law offices in Manhattan, rivaling many Wall Street firms by head count.<\/p>\n<p>According to ALM\u2019s data on 2024 full-time equivalent figures, McDermott had 235 lawyers in the city last year, while Schulte had 313. If combined, the firms\u2019 New York office, with more than 540 lawyers, would likely be ranked in the top 10 of the largest private law offices in the city based on head count.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>You can\u2019t go wrong when your firms will be catapulted to the top of the charts thanks to a compatible merger. Best of luck to McDermott Will &amp; Emery and Schulte Roth &amp; Zabel as they work out the kinks on this contemplated merger.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.law.com\/newyorklawjournal\/2025\/05\/19\/mcdermott-and-schulte-with-merger-vote-within-months-plan-for-top-ny-office\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">McDermott and Schulte, With Merger Vote Within Months, Plan for Top NY Office<\/a> [American Lawyer]<\/p>\n<p><strong>Earlier<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/abovethelaw.com\/2025\/05\/biglaw-merger-talks-could-create-new-2-billion-firm\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Biglaw Merger Talks Could Create New $2 Billion Firm<\/a><\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-441281\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/abovethelaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2016\/11\/Staci-Zaretsky.jpg?resize=150%2C100&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Staci Zaretsky\" width=\"150\" height=\"100\" title=\"\"><figcaption><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong><em><a href=\"https:\/\/abovethelaw.com\/author\/staci-zaretsky\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Staci Zaretsky<\/a>\u00a0is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she\u2019s worked since 2011. She\u2019d love to hear from you, so please feel free to <a href=\"mailto:staci@abovethelaw.com\">email<\/a> her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/stacizaretsky.bsky.social\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Bluesky<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/stacizaretsky\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">X\/Twitter<\/a>, and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.threads.net\/@stacizaretsky\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Threads<\/a>,\u00a0or connect with her on\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/staci-zaretsky\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">LinkedIn<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/abovethelaw.com\/2025\/05\/proposed-biglaw-merger-will-create-new-top-20-am-law-firm-new-top-new-york-firm\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Proposed Biglaw Merger Will Create New Top 20 Am Law Firm, New Top New York Firm<\/a> appeared first on <a href=\"https:\/\/abovethelaw.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Above the Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-single__featured-image post-single__featured-image--medium alignright\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/abovethelaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/06\/GettyImages-1200699862-300x200.jpg?resize=300%2C200&#038;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n<p>Earlier this month, McDermott Will &amp; Emery and Schulte Roth &amp; Zabel made the <a href=\"https:\/\/abovethelaw.com\/2025\/05\/biglaw-merger-talks-could-create-new-2-billion-firm\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">surprise announcement that they\u2019d been in merger talks<\/a>, noting that they were \u201cfinalizing a transformative combination.\u201d The merged firm would have more than 1,650 lawyers and a combined revenue of more than $2.8 billion, which would likely land it in the Am Law Top 20. <\/p>\n<p>In a recent interview with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.law.com\/newyorklawjournal\/2025\/05\/19\/mcdermott-and-schulte-with-merger-vote-within-months-plan-for-top-ny-office\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">American Lawyer<\/a>, it was revealed that partners are expected to vote on the proposed merger within 90 days, and leaders at both firms seem confident about where things are headed. Although a combined firm name hasn\u2019t been reached yet, McDermott chair Ira Coleman isn\u2019t letting it get to him. \u201cWe\u2019re just, you know, taxiing down the runway,\u201d Coleman told Am Law\u2019s Patrick Smith. \u201cSo much to do. We\u2019re gonna try to build the plane while we\u2019re flying in, and we will never let this affect our client service.\u201d (Let\u2019s hope that runway isn\u2019t in Newark, New Jersey.)<\/p>\n<p>Not only is this merger expected to create a top Biglaw firm, but a marriage between McDermott and Schulte will also create a top New York firm. Am Law has the details:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>The combined firm would create one of the largest law offices in Manhattan, rivaling many Wall Street firms by head count.<\/p>\n<p>According to ALM\u2019s data on 2024 full-time equivalent figures, McDermott had 235 lawyers in the city last year, while Schulte had 313. If combined, the firms\u2019 New York office, with more than 540 lawyers, would likely be ranked in the top 10 of the largest private law offices in the city based on head count.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>You can\u2019t go wrong when your firms will be catapulted to the top of the charts thanks to a compatible merger. Best of luck to McDermott Will &amp; Emery and Schulte Roth &amp; Zabel as they work out the kinks on this contemplated merger.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.law.com\/newyorklawjournal\/2025\/05\/19\/mcdermott-and-schulte-with-merger-vote-within-months-plan-for-top-ny-office\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">McDermott and Schulte, With Merger Vote Within Months, Plan for Top NY Office<\/a> [American Lawyer]<\/p>\n<p><strong>Earlier<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/abovethelaw.com\/2025\/05\/biglaw-merger-talks-could-create-new-2-billion-firm\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Biglaw Merger Talks Could Create New $2 Billion Firm<\/a><\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-441281\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/abovethelaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2016\/11\/Staci-Zaretsky.jpg?resize=150%2C100&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Staci Zaretsky\" width=\"150\" height=\"100\" title=\"\"><figcaption><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong><em><a href=\"https:\/\/abovethelaw.com\/author\/staci-zaretsky\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Staci Zaretsky<\/a>\u00a0is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she\u2019s worked since 2011. She\u2019d love to hear from you, so please feel free to <a href=\"https:\/\/abovethelaw.com\/cdn-cgi\/l\/email-protection#25565144464c6544474a5340514d404944520b464a48\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">email<\/a> her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/stacizaretsky.bsky.social\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Bluesky<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/stacizaretsky\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">X\/Twitter<\/a>, and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.threads.net\/@stacizaretsky\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Threads<\/a>,\u00a0or connect with her on\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/staci-zaretsky\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">LinkedIn<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Earlier this month, McDermott Will &amp; Emery and Schulte Roth &amp; Zabel made the surprise announcement that they\u2019d been in merger talks, noting that they were \u201cfinalizing a transformative combination.\u201d The merged firm would have more than 1,650 lawyers and a combined revenue of more than $2.8 billion, which would likely land it in the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":119653,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-119652","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-above_the_law"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/xira.com\/p\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Staci-Zaretsky-P73MUg.jpeg?fit=150%2C100&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119652","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=119652"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119652\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/119653"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=119652"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=119652"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=119652"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}