Maynard Nexsen president and chief strategy officer Leighton Lord, Maynard Nexsen chairman of the board and head of client relations Greg Curran and Maynard Nexsen CEO and managing shareholder Jeff Grantham (L-R) Maynard Nexsen president and chief strategy officer Leighton Lord, Maynard Nexsen board chairman and head of client relations Greg Curran, and Maynard Nexsen CEO and managing shareholder Jeff Grantham. Courtesy photos

This article has been updated with additional merger information and comments.

Alabama-based Maynard Cooper & Gale and Carolinas-based Nexsen Pruet said Thursday that they are merging, creating a 550-lawyer law firm operating out of 23 offices in the U.S.