The American Bar Association (ABA) has given its approval for US firms to form partnerships with foreign firms.

The somewhat belated move – given the existence of Clifford Chance Rogers & Wells – follows an inquiry by the ABA's standing committee on ethics and professional responsibility.

Although the ABA has no regulatory powers, it is regarded as the dominant US legal opinion-former.

The report confirms that: "US lawyers can form partnerships to practise law with foreigners who are members of a recognised legal profession".

It adds: "The committee recognised the desirability of US lawyers assuring availability of foreign lawyers to assist US clients with issues involving foreign law."

The ABA's approval, which incorporates both mergers and alliances between US law firms and those in other jurisdictions, comes several years after the English Law Society agreed to the
formation of multi-national partnerships.

The ABA's decision to endorse multi-national partnerships follows last month's decision by the Council of Bars and Law Societies of the European Union to standardise regulations governing non-EU lawyers by drawing up a pan-EU rights of establishment code for them (Legal Week, 29 November).

US lawyers are most likely to benefit from the new practice rights, with hundreds of US lawyers already working across Europe under a variety of systems.