As the economy starts to emerge from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and multiple lockdowns, many law firms will be considering not only how they can ensure the firm survives but how to bounce back stronger and more resilient to the economic challenges they may have faced during the past year. This might include reviving shelved pre-COVID-19 merger plans or re-appraising their existing business plans in light of the ‘new normal’ to include mergers or bolt-on acquisitions aimed at enhancing strategic growth opportunities. Inevitably, there will be some distressed law firms that are seeking a merger as a protective measure to mitigate against financial difficulties.
A successful law firm merger was not easy before the pandemic let alone amidst the current turbulent and uncertain trading conditions. In this news alert, Zulon Begum, Wendy Chung and Wonu Sanda discuss some of the key issues that need to be addressed for a merger to be successful: