Merger talks between Simmons and Mayer Brown end without agreement

Merger negotiations between Simmons & Simmons and Mayer Brown have collapsed after preliminary talks failed to precipitate agreement between the two firms. A joint press statement said: "Mergers are complex and present a number of issues which need to be resolved before discussions can proceed. We have concluded that a combination between our firms is not the right option. There is, however, considerable goodwill and continuing respect on both sides." It has been reported that some Simmons partners had misgivings about whether Mayer Brown’s London practice was truly complementary with the London offering of Simmons & Simmons. Questions were also asked as to whether Simmons should merge with a larger and more profitable firm, after Mayer Brown posted a 14% fall in revenues for the last financial year.

Merger talks between Simmons and Mayer Brown end without agreement legalweek.com Wed, Jun 30, 2010