National insurance firm Berrymans Lace Mawer is looking for a merger partner in Birmingham.
Legal Week understands that the firm approached four Birmingham-based practices before Christmas, including Martineau Johnson and insurance practice Buller Jeffries.
Berrymans' managing partner Paul Taylor would not comment on the details of the firm's search for a partner, but Taylor did confirm approaches had been made.
"We have spoken to a number of firms," he said.
Berrymans has been looking to expand its Birmingham operation, which has one partner and a total of 24 staff, for some time.
Michael Shepherd, senior partner of 33-partner firm Martineau Johnson, said the firm was not interested in a merger.
"Our strategy is to be a successful single-office operation," he said.
Growth in Birmingham has long been on the agenda for a number of the large insurance litigation firms. The force behind this is consolidation in the insurance industry, with large insurers looking to instruct firms with a national reach.
Earlier this month Weightmans merged with respected seven-partner Midlands insurance practice William Hatton.