The soon-to-be merged law firm A&O Shearman has announced it will occupy the current office of Shearman & Sterling in New York, while preparing to take up residence at a new location in London. The New York office, situated at 599 Lexington Avenue, recently underwent an extensive two-year renovation, which was completed towards the end of 2022. In contrast, the London base of operations will be initially positioned at One Bishops Square, Allen & Overy’s current office, before transitioning to the expansive 2 Broadgate at the Broadgate campus in early 2027.
In a recent statement, the firm emphasized that one of the significant benefits of this upcoming merger is the ability to consolidate their workforce into a singular space in each jurisdiction. According to them, this will not only accelerate the integration process but will also champion collaboration and generate financial synergies, especially on the real estate front.
Plans of a merger between Allen & Overy and Shearman & Sterling were made public in May last year, resulting in the birth of a future global legal colossus with around 4,000 lawyers and an estimated $3.4 billion in combined revenue. It was approved by the firms’ partnership in the autumn of the same year and is set to be executed by May 2024.
The statement issued by the firm also confirmed that the timeline for each move will be guided by jurisdiction, with the goal to finalise all relocations in the shortest time frame possible. But this won’t necessarily mean occupying ancestral Allen & Overy or Shearman & Sterling spaces for every location; some jurisdictions may see the firm moving into a completely new facility.
Finally, one of the pivotal decisions yet to be resolved is regarding the leadership of the emerging A&O Shearman. The voting procedure for senior partner and managing partner roles is slated to commence in February, followed by an announcement of the results in March.
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