Eversheds Sutherland has launched a transatlantic associate secondment programme as the firm pulls together its post-merger global strategy in the wake of its tie-up this February.

The newly merged firm's management discussed its global strategy plans at this week's London partner conference, the first since the combination between Eversheds and US firm Sutherland Asbill & Brennan went live on 1 February.

Issues discussed included plans for further global expansion, new client wins and how to drive integration between the two firms.

At the conference the firm launched a new associate secondment programme, dubbed 'Passing the Baton', in a bid to to encourage collaboration between lawyers on both sides of the Atlantic.

Co-chief executive Mark Wasserman (pictured above right) explained: "In September we will start to have mid and senior level associates spending time across jurisdictions and across offices."

Co-chief executive Lee Ranson (pictured above left) said: "We have rather nattily called it 'Passing the Baton' – a person will go over for a period of time, then come back and inform their office about what they have seen and heard, and immediately 'pass the baton' to the next person to go. This will mean there will be a constant programme of people moving across all of the firm's offices across the globe within the next 12 months."

The firm's management also discussed their vision for the combined firm with partners, with the goal of putting together an integrated global strategy by the end of the summer.

Ranson said: "The drive towards becoming a leading global law firm remains the commitment from the organisation – that is where we see our strengths, it is where our clients think we can add most, and it's exciting for our people, who want to be part of a global firm."

Ranson said the management's vision for the firm received "pretty good feedback at the conference", but added: "We want to test that a little bit more over the next couple of months."

He said the firm's global executive, global board and practice and sector group leaders would work together during the coming months, with the goal of having a more formal strategy in place by September.

Part of the strategy discussion included plans for future expansion, both in the US and worldwide, with the firm identifying opportunities in continental Europe, Asia and London.

Wasserman said that while Stateside expansion was high on the agenda, the firm was unlikely to launch any new US offices in the next year.

"We could open in Dallas, Chicago, California or Denver tomorrow if we wanted to; it would just be a matter of getting some office space. But it is really about finding the right people who share what we want to do and have the expertise in the right levels and the right areas."

The firm has also secured a number of clients since February, including commodities company Freepoint, telecoms company Cox Communications and multinational Koch Industries – the second largest privately held company in the US – after a successful panel pitch. The firm said it had also 'deepened' its relationship with Shell, after Eversheds was appointed to the oil giant's panel last year.

Speaking about the Koch panel win, Wasserman said: "Legacy Sutherland wouldn't have got on that panel and legacy Eversheds wouldn't have got on that panel – it is an example of where the combination opens up new opportunities."