More law firms merged in the just-completed third quarter than during the same period in 2020, but the overall pace of mergers in 2021 continues to lag behind pre-pandemic levels.

New data from the merger research team at Fairfax Associates shows that eight mergers were completed between the start of July and the end of September, compared with six in Q3 of 2020. So far in 2021, firms have completed a total of 33 mergers, compared with 32 last year. The historical average from 2011 through 2020, though, was 44 mergers per year.