Pace of US law firm mergers holds steady

There were 17 law firm mergers and acquisitions reported in the U.S. in the first quarter of 2008, according to the legal management consultancy Altman Weil Inc. The largest merger was between McGuireWoods LLP, a 750-lawyer firm in Richmond, Va., and Helms Mulliss & Wicker, a 145-lawyer firm in Charlotte, N.C.