Transatlantic firm targets new territories in post-merger review

Hogan Lovells is putting international expansion and client development at the centre of its first post-merger strategy review.

The transatlantic law firm has drawn up a list of key jurisdictions it would like to enter by the close of December 2014 as part of a review conducted by co-chief executives Warren Gorrell and David Harris (pictured).

Brazil, Qatar and Indonesia have all been earmarked for office launches during the next three years, with the firm also considering opening in Australia and South Korea.

Hogan Lovells already has four offices across the Middle East, while it services Brazil from a base in Venezuela, with Indonesia – where it would need to form an association with a local firm in order to practise – currently accessed via two small offices in Vietnam.

Elsewhere, the firm plans to grow its New York and London corporate practices, which critics argue are still punching below their weight.

The review has also seen Hogan Lovells devise a three-tier client programme. The top tier includes the closest client relationships such as Ford and SABMiller, which already use the firm across multiple practices and geographies. These clients could be offered a wider range of alternative billing arrangements or, potentially, collaboration with legal process outsourcers if requested.

Meanwhile, the firm is expected to push cross-selling for clients in the second and third tiers across multiple practice areas and into the firm's main geographic markets.

One partner commented: "Cross-selling remains one of the top priorities at the firm – many of the relationships we have are still too patchy. A lot of relationships used to be corporate-led, but post-recession areas like regulatory are shifting into focus."

Separately, it has emerged that the firm has disbanded the implementation committee formed to oversee integration of the merger between Lovells and Hogan & Hartson, which went live in May 2010.

Harris said: "Eighteen months have passed since the merger went live and integration has gone very well. Our strategic focus continues to be on clients, both in terms of winning new opportunities and cross-selling to our existing clients. We are also reviewing opportunities for further expansion in line with the needs of our clients, particularly in Asia, the Middle East and Latin America."