Bird & Bird is set to merge with Danish firm Bender von Haller Dragsted (BvHD), handing the firm its third Nordic foothold.

The UK firm signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the 16-lawyer boutique at the start of 2012 in a bid to expand its offering in the north European IT and media sectors.

BvHD, which has offices in Copenhagen and Jutland, specialises in advising on IT, intellectual property (IP), due diligence and matters relating to start-up companies.

The tie-up is expected to go live on 1 May next year.

BvHD IT partner Jesper Langemark said: "I can confim that we are currently negotiating a merger with Bird & Bird. No documents have been signed yet, but at BvHD we very much hope that the deal will move forward and that we will be part of Bird & Bird in a not too distant future."

In a statement, Bird & Bird said: "It is no secret that our association with BvHD is going extremely well and we are working more and more closely with them. It is also no secret that both sides have expressed an interest in merging. However, we have no announcement to make at this time."

News of the potential tie-up comes after Bird & Bird merged with Finland's Fennica Attorneys in 2008, with the IP and IT-focused firm brought under the Bird & Bird banner in May that year.

Bird & Bird also combined with Stockholm-based firm Gedda & Ekdahl in 2000, a deal which marked the first major UK-Swedish merger.