With Locke Lord and Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders set to combine on Jan. 1, 2025, leaders of the firms will focus over the next four months on how to make that happen—deciding how to meld practices and back-office systems, identifying lawyers to manage offices and practice groups and working through conflicts.

At the same time, Troutman Pepper chair Tom Cole said, he and Locke Lord chair David Taylor will focus on finishing out 2024 in “strong fashion” while also keeping partners informed on the progress of the pre-merger checklist. The fourth quarter is a busy time at law firms, when collections are a priority, along with setting a budget for the next year, Cole noted.