Squire Sanders Considers Union With Denton Wilde

By Erin Coe

Law360, New York (June 05, 2009) -- In a sign that Squire Sanders & Dempsey LLP is looking to step up its presence in U.K. and European markets, the Cleveland-based firm has reportedly been engaged in merger discussions with London’s Denton Wilde Sapte LLP.

The two firms took part in talks to join forces at the management level, and a merger could take place as early as the fall if everything goes smoothly, Legal Week reported Friday. The firms have yet to talk about merging at the partner level, according to the report.

Denton Wilde Chief Executive Howard Morris told the legal publication that the firm remained open to potential U.S. combinations and would consider a merger proposal if it would help the firm reinforce its practice areas and expand in emerging markets.

A representative for Squire Sanders was unavailable for comment.

Squire Sanders has been looking at boosting its services across the Atlantic, while Denton Wilde has yet to set up shop in the United States.

A union with Squire Sanders would hook up Denton Wilde to the Cleveland firm’s notable central and eastern European network, and the combined revenues of the firms would be more than $800 million, according to Legal Week.

Squire Sanders, founded in 1890, has about 860 attorneys in 32 offices and 15 countries, including Poland, the Czech Republic, Russia and the Ukraine. It offers expertise in the practice areas of antitrust, bankruptcy, corporate transactions, intellectual property, labor and employment, and international dispute resolution, among others.

Denton Wilde has about 650 lawyers in 12 offices in the U.K., Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States. The firm provides a range of commercial legal services related to four core sectors – financial institutions; energy, transport and infrastructure; real estate and retail; and technology, media and telecom.

Clients at Denton Wilde span various industries and include British Energy, Hitachi Ltd., Virgin Atlantic Airlines, BNP Paribas, Citigroup and Microsoft Corp.

In recent years, Squire Sanders has looked into possible mergers to beef up its international presence, including considering a combination with now-defunct Coudert Brothers LLP. In October 2004, Coudert announced that it was pulling out of merger talks with the firm.

A survey by Hildebrandt International last month said that out of the 33 mergers and acquisitions completed in the first quarter of the year, two U.S. firms finalized mergers abroad.

Miller Canfield Paddock and Stone PLC, a Detroit-based firm with 370 lawyers, acquired Toronto-based Gaertner Tobin LLP and its 10 lawyers.

Jones Day, a Cleveland-based firm with 2,500 lawyers, picked up 20 lawyers from its acquisition of De Ovando y Martinez del Campo SC in Mexico City.

Hildebrandt said 12 mergers were completed between law firms outside the U.S. during the first quarter of 2009. Four of these were cross-border mergers.