Regional legal heavyweight Osborne Clarke (OC) has announced a merger with its Spanish and Italian Alliance partners, Osborne Clarke Spain and Studio Legale Associato (SLA) over the next few months.
Managing partner Simon Beswick described the move as the next step in giving clients access to international legal services in a user-friendly, sector-focused style under the OC brand.
He said: "OC Spain and SLA offer quality advisory, litigation and transactional legal services. They also share our ambition and willingness to invest in offering our unique service style on a more international basis, which is why I believe that the merger will provide significant benefits for our clients.
"Both firms have real strengths in the sectors we are active in, including energy and natural resources, financial services, digital business, real estate, automotive and life sciences/pharma. They have excellent reputations in their domestic markets and wide experience of working on international matters.
"I am also pleased that we will continue to meet client needs in other jurisdictions alongside our Alliance partners. Working together on a best friends basis will enable clients to continue to benefit from the firms' collective experience and expertise in many European countries.
"We are very excited about our international expansion plans. Along with our continued relationship with our Alliance partners and our continued growth in Germany and the UK, the plans will enhance our firm and our clients’ experience.
The mergers will double the number of offices OC currently has to 12 and add 21 partners to the firm, bringing the total to 145. The mergers are expected to increase OC's global turnover to around €140m (£116.9m).
The Bristol-based law firm has been rated the fifth most active in the UK by analysts Experian Corpfin while Mergermarket, which records higher value deals, ranks it in 10th place. The firm also tops Experian’s South West table as the most active legal adviser on deals in the region.
