Pinsent Masons and Salans seal cross-border deal as PMLG firms pledge to continue

Pinsent Masons and Salans have launched a strategic alliance, with Pinsents set to pull out of its international network, PMLG, as a result.

The tie-up, which went live earlier this week (1 June) after months of discussion, will see the firms conducting joint pitches for cross-border work and committing to joint training and secondments in a bid to access new clients and boost their international scope.

It is believed the firms considered all options for working together, including a merger, before agreeing to the referral relationship.

The non-exclusive agreement gives Pinsents access to Salans' 21 offices, including a significant presence in Russia and Eastern Europe. Salans gains from Pinsents' established UK presence as well as its offices across Asia and the Middle East.

Pinsents will now start pulling out of the PMLG network of international firms it launched in 2006. However, German member firm Luther's managing partner and member of PMLG executive committee Stefan Kraus said the network would continue without Pinsents. He said: "We are a group of nine law firms in total and we have no intention to dissolve the group because one member is leaving. We have no immediate plans to find a new exclusive member from the UK but expect we can work with a few best friends relationships for the jurisdiction to manage day-to-day business."

The deal marks Pinsents' second attempt to forge links with a firm with US connections, as it previously had a projects and construction-focused joint venture with now-defunct US firm Thelen between 2003 and 2007. Salans has 34 lawyers in the US, including 13 partners.

Pinsents senior partner Chris Mullen said: "The principal benefit is to be able to provide greater international reach for our clients and to access a new range of potential clients for both businesses.

"PMLG has served us well and we are happy with the progress we made, but we are looking to the future and how we can improve servicing our clients' needs. The opportunities we can tap into with Salans in terms of the amount of countries covered, as well being able to work with a single firm, gives us better prospects for high quality and standardised processes."

Salans chairman Stephen Finch added: "[Pinsents'] sector experience complements ours, and we will now be able to offer much greater resources across key industries and jurisdictions, especially in the UK, the Gulf region and Asia."

Both Mullen and Finch sit on a new steering committee for the alliance, which also comprises Pinsents managing partner David Ryan and corporate head Gareth Edwards, as well as Salans international development partner Roger Abrahams and global managing partner Dariusz Oleszczuk.

Eversheds managing partner Lee Ranson said: "It is an interesting and logical move. They have worked together in the past and it shows the importance of having an international reach for Pinsents, which has been a very UK-oriented firm. For Salans, it adds a credible partner base in the UK and access to UK clients with a global business."