Herbert Smith Freehills and Kramer Levin to combine to form an integrated global legal powerhouse

• This transformative combination will create a unique global law firm with leading disputes and transactional practices in the world's key markets.
• Herbert Smith Freehills' strength and scale in the UK, Asia-Pacific and EMEA, plus Kramer Levin’s distinguished reputation in the US, will establish an outstanding offering for clients.
• Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer will become one of the top 20 firms globally, with over US$2 billion in combined revenues from day one.  
• The combined firm will have over 2,700 lawyers including c.640 partners across 25 offices.
• The combination is underpinned by Herbert Smith Freehills' and Kramer Levin’s shared values, entrepreneurial spirit, and high-performance culture.

The combination, with a single global profit pool from day one, will supercharge the firms' global offerings and with c.120 partners in the US surpasses international peers.

The combined firm's complementary footprints and expanded reach will provide immediate synergies that allow unrivalled support for clients on complex transactions and high-stakes disputes.

Marrying Herbert Smith Freehills’ strength and scale across Asia, Australia, EMEA, and the UK, with Kramer Levin’s premier offering in New York, Washington D.C., and Silicon Valley will create one of the world's leading global law firms. 

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer will have over US$2 billion in revenues and will establish a powerful single global platform for future investment and expansion.

The synergies of the combined firm will accelerate growth in the US across critically important sectors in which Herbert Smith Freehills has leading practices such as energy, financial services, infrastructure, mining, and technology.

The combined firm will also advance the next phase of growth in key practice areas to create an elite offering for clients, including leading disputes and transactional expertise on a global basis, with particular strengths in private capital, M&A, restructuring, securitisation, real estate, white collar corporate crime and investigations, class actions, IP, and arbitration.  

Herbert Smith Freehills and Kramer Levin operate as true partnerships. Their close cultural alignment and shared vision for the future significantly bolsters the combined firm’s ability to attract and retain the very best talent.

This bold, strategic move is driven by a shared commitment to servicing clients and putting them at the centre of everything the firms do. It is underpinned by a deep pool of talent and cultures of entrepreneurialism and collegiality.

Rebecca Maslen-Stannage, Chair and Senior Partner of Herbert Smith Freehills, said:

"This is transformational. We have long been committed to expanding our offering in the US and Kramer Levin is the perfect fit. The combination delivers immediate growth for both firms from day one."    

Justin D'Agostino, Global CEO of Herbert Smith Freehills, said:

"This is an excellent long-term, strategic move for our firms, our clients and our people – a bold opportunity to build an exciting international firm together, based on our strong cultures of collaboration, superb clients and people, and our existing areas of strength. This is just the beginning."

Howard T. Spilko, Co-managing Partner of Kramer Levin, said:

“Joining forces with Herbert Smith Freehills is a one-of-a-kind opportunity that helps us achieve our vision and potential for strategic growth. The combination provides us with a significant competitive advantage by bolstering our destination practices with a deeper bench, broader geographic reach and sector expertise, while providing the opportunity to collaborate to achieve great outcomes for clients internationally.”

Paul H. Schoeman, Co-managing Partner of Kramer Levin, said:

“We are very much aligned culturally and share critical core values, particularly a belief that a collaborative approach is the key to providing best-in-class solutions and service to our clients.  We also have the same deeply rooted commitment to diversity and inclusion, pro bono work, and community service.”

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer will have over 2,700 lawyers including c.640 partners across 25 offices globally. It will be among the top 20 largest law firms by headcount and one of the top 20 integrated firms by revenue in the world.

The firm will operate globally as Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, with the abbreviation in the U.S. as HSF Kramer.

The proposed combination is subject to customary closing conditions, including a vote of the Partners of each of the respective firms.