Bond Dickinson managing partner Jonathan Blair insists his firm's transatlantic tie-up with US counterpart Womble Carlyle is not the first step in a path towards multiple international mergers, like Dentons or DLA Piper.

"That is not part of the plan – this is not about trying to create a mid-market DLA Piper," he insists. "This is unique, there is no other entity which has done what we are doing with a transatlantic tie-up focusing on these two jurisdictions."

What sets the union, due to go live in October, apart is that neither firm has a single office outside its home country.

Bond Dickinson, formed through the 2013 merger between Bristol-headquartered Bond Pearce and Newcastle-based Dickinson Dees, has eight offices across the UK, while Womble has 15 offices across the US.

While the UK firm has referral relationships with Germany's Redeker Sellner Dahs and France's Bersay Associés, to date it has had no international offices under its own brand name. Womble meanwhile has so far relied on its Lex Mundi links outside the US and UK.

Not that Blair is ruling out further mergers entirely. While not part of the plan, he concedes: "I wouldn't say never." Indeed, when the initial alliance between the two firms was signed a year ago, a merger was not part of the original plan.

According to Blair, it was the success of this initial alliance as well as macro factors like Brexit that prompted the two sides to seek further integration.

"The strategic alliance was proving a success and other things happening, such as the UK voting to leave the EU and the US voting in Trump, meant that [the UK and US] started falling back on their special relationship, with political and economic ties between the two becoming increasingly important."

Womble Carlyle's CEO and chair, Betty Temple, says the deal will create a "new breed of transatlantic law firm", building on the success both firms have gained in regional markets rather than capital cities.

Temple says the new entity will aim to "deliver the classic Womble and Bond Dickinson service throughout the country and on a regional basis".

The deal, structured as a company limited by guarantee, will leave both the UK and US firm in full control of their finances and strategy.

Critics could argue that on this basis the deal does not sound much more integrated than the previous exclusive alliance.

Blair, however, refutes this, saying: "We will go to market as one; there will be one single website, the same email addresses."  He also mentions the joint management board, which will run the combined entity, consisting of four partners from each firm.

From a client perspective, Blair says the deal will provide a "quality kitemark" and that if clients "have bought Bond Dickinson in the UK or Womble Carlyle in the US and recognise the quality of the advice, we can now say that we can do that in the UK or US as well".

Areas of synergy, according to Temple, include financial institutions, where both firms have been working with challenger bank Atom Bank during the past year, manufacturing, real estate and the retail and consumer sector.

Temple cites Bond Dickinson's strength in the energy and transport sectors as something that Womble would like to replicate and also mentions Womble's strength in life sciences as something that could be emulated across the Atlantic in the UK.

While neither firm is particularly well known outside of its domestic market, the new leaders think this will change under the new Womble Bond Dickinson banner.

Blair is certainly not concerned about any memories of furry TV show characters the name may evoke in the UK.

Womble is a "very strong brand in the US" he says, adding: "I am aware of the 1970s connotation around The Wombles, but it is something of nothing I would say."