In an exclusive interview with Law.com, the leaders of Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) and Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel announced their merger plans. While the vote to finalize the merger is scheduled for mid-February, the official merger is expected to take effect on May 1, 2025. Notably, the Paris office of Kramer Levin will not be included in the merger. This decision follows meetings within both firms to discuss the strategic rationale behind the merger, which will need a 75% approval from both firms’ partnerships.
HSF’s CEO, Justin D’Agostino, and its chair and senior partner, Rebecca Maslen-Stannage, are set to lead the new firm, maintaining their current roles. From Kramer Levin, co-managing partners Howard Spilko and Paul Schoeman will be integrated into the HSF-Kramer firm’s executive and governance bodies. To emphasize global collaboration, a U.S.-specific executive team from Kramer Levin will ensure the seamless integration of the merged firm’s U.S. business into its global operations.
The merger will focus on strengthening its private equity capabilities in New York, and expanding antitrust specialties, while aligning profit structures between the two firms. Leaders from both firms also highlighted the unique opportunity for growth and scale this merger presents within the competitive legal landscape.