What Happens to Associates After a Merger? Forum

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What Happens to Associates After a Merger?

Post by Anonymous User » Wed Jan 25, 2023 6:19 pm

Suffice it to say I am a mid to senior-level at one of Shearman and Hogans Lovell in a major US office. Seems like merger news are more than just baseless rumors and may be serious.

Has anyone been an associate during a significant firm merger, and what was the extent of changes to your everyday life? Even relatively simple things like whose bonus policies control post merger, are there effectively "two" different firms under the same roof for a substantial period of time, etc.

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Re: What Happens to Associates After a Merger?

Post by Anonymous User » Thu Jan 26, 2023 5:21 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
Wed Jan 25, 2023 6:19 pm
Suffice it to say I am a mid to senior-level at one of Shearman and Hogans Lovell in a major US office. Seems like merger news are more than just baseless rumors and may be serious.

Has anyone been an associate during a significant firm merger, and what was the extent of changes to your everyday life? Even relatively simple things like whose bonus policies control post merger, are there effectively "two" different firms under the same roof for a substantial period of time, etc.

I had a spouse live through one (merger actually happened between being a summer and starting as an associate). Biggest issues can be group reorganizations (which may happen in the years following the merger). My spouse's group was a litigation niche that ended up getting dissolved as a separate practice group and the associates were to be distributed among other specialty groups. They ended up having to lateral because they were going to be assigned to an unattractive group. You also have to consider whether the center of power may change as a result of the merger (for example, if the global power center shifts away from your own office).

At the same time, there may be some level of opportunity, especially if your firm is getting bought by one with more global reach or a better group in your practice area.

Anyhow, each merger will be different and I'm afraid you won't get any certainty from TLS on how the merger at your firm will go.

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