SJ Berwin & Co has drawn up a shortlist of US merger partners in a bid to finance its planned European expansion.
Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson, Latham & Watkins and Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld all appeared on the list. Legal Week also understands that all of the firms except for Orricks have been discounted as possible merger candidates. Gibson Dunn is understood to have rebuffed the approach.
SJ Berwin has said that it wants to build in Paris and expand its existing European operations. Having opened its well-regarded Madrid office in 1999, the firm now aims to beef up its German presence via its link with Knopf Tulloch & Partner, the multi-disciplinary partnership with which it has had a formal alliance since May 1998.
Although the firm's commercial culture and meritocracy are seen as having more in common with US firms than City rivals, SJ Berwin has focused exclusively on developing its continental practice.
But sources close to the firm said last week that the massive investment required for European growth has concentrated minds on the benefits of forging an alliance with a US firm.
SJ Berwin's senior partner David Harrel denied that any talks were going on with any other US firm, but he admitted that a number of "social meetings" had taken place with Orricks. He added: "Orricks and SJ Berwin are just good friends."
A UK merger is also top priority for Orricks. One Orricks partner told Legal Week the firm's managing partner, Ralph Baxter, was "concerned with nothing else".
SJ Berwin's shortlist was drawn up in March, just one month after merger discussions between Orricks and UK firm Bird & Bird were called off due to differences in culture and pay.
Since then Orricks is understood to have approached CMS Cameron McKenna to talk about "management issues". Talks did not progress and two Camerons' partners have since moved to the US firm.