In an exciting development within the legal industry, two powerhouse law firms, Winston & Strawn from the United States and Taylor Wessing from the United Kingdom, have announced their official merger, set to be finalized in May 2026. The new entity will be known as Winston Taylor, marking a significant transatlantic union that promises to reshape the landscape of international legal services.

Steve D’Amore, chairman of Winston & Strawn, articulated the motivation behind the merger, emphasizing the need to align more closely with the cross-border, multifaceted risks that their clients face. "It’s what we believe our clients want from their law firms. To be able to provide trans-Atlantic service that aligns with their own business, which is cross-border, cross-risk that was the driving force about this," said D’Amore in a statement to the American Lawyer.

The decision to merge was influenced heavily by the recent impressive growth of Taylor Wessing's business, which when combined with Winston's robust financial health, lays a strong foundation for this partnership. D’Amore highlighted the strategic importance of this growth, "I think taking a hard look at the incredible growth of [Taylor Wessing’s] business over the most recent period is really important to understanding why this makes a lot of sense for us," he remarked.

This merger is poised to create a legal behemoth with enhanced capabilities across various jurisdictions, significantly benefiting the firms’ global clientele who require integrated and comprehensive legal coverage in both the US and Europe.

The legal community and clients alike eagerly await the completion of this merger, anticipating the broad array of services and depth of expertise that the newly formed Winston Taylor will offer. As the legal landscape continues to evolve with increasing globalization, such mergers are indicative of the strategic shifts firms must undertake to stay competitive and meet the complex needs of their international clients.