With blessings from partners to continue leading the firm until 2028, Hogan Lovells’ Miguel Zaldivar plans to double down on expansion in key U.S. markets through group lateral acquisitions and stay the course in China despite multiple peers pulling out of the region.

After exiting merger talks with Shearman & Sterling this year, the Hogan Lovells leader said combining with a likeminded high-end firm isn’t off the table. But he has high standards for who he would consider a viable merger partner.