"Before we pursued a local practice in France and Germany we went to our clients and asked whether opening there was going to make a difference. They all agreed it would."

So says Rodgin Cohen, Sullivan & Cromwell's (S&C's) managing partner, in this issue of Legal Week Global.

Of course, S&C is not going to go on a hiring spree across Europe and neither is it planning on a merger. Nevertheless, its decision to hire non-US lateral partners was a highly symbolic move.