For the moment at least, mergers appear to have gone out of fashion in the UK. But across the Atlantic they are being agreed with the minimum of fuss.

Recently, Florida-based Holland & Knight completed its sixth acquisition in a year to break into the top five US firms by size. Washington DC's Swidler & Berlin has merged with New York capital markets specialist Shereff Friedman Hoffman & Goodman, and European 58-partner practice Salans Hertzfeld & Heilbronn snapped up New York's Christy & Viener.

The latest deal is currently being hammered out between international giant White & Case and capital markets firm Brown & Wood. If all goes to plan, the merged firm will be the fourth largest in the US, with more than 1,200 lawyers.