King & Wood Mallesons - would it work?

Interesting article here on the proposed merger between Australian firm Mallesons Stephen Jaques and Chinese firm King & Wood. The article tries to assess whether the proposed merger would be successful. The proposed deal calls for the merger of the firms’ Hong Kong offices early next year, with the Beijing and Shanghai offices to combine subject to regulatory approval down the road. The firms will otherwise remain financially distinct under a Swiss Verein structure under the King & Wood Mallesons brand. The article surveys the global ambitions of each firm, pointing out that Mallesons has long held the goal of being a major player in Asia, while King & Wood has steadily hired lawyers from international firms as part of an effort to bring its practice and management to Western standards.

King & Wood Mallesons - would it work? law.com Thu, Dec 1, 2011