Q1 merger activity shows mid-size consolidation pressure
Fairfax Associates reports 31 completed law-firm mergers in Q1 2026, including eight mid-size mergers compared with one in Q1 2025, and points to expected large transatlantic combinations involving Taylor Wessing/Winston & Strawn, Ashurst/Perkins Coie and Hogan Lovells/Cadwalader.
BY ECONOMICS DESK · APRIL 30, 2026 · 1 MIN READ
Fairfax Associates reports 31 completed law-firm mergers in Q1 2026, including eight mid-size mergers compared with one in Q1 2025, and points to expected large transatlantic combinations involving Taylor Wessing/Winston & Strawn, Ashurst/Perkins Coie and Hogan Lovells/Cadwalader. The economics story is platform pressure: firms are using combinations to solve for scale, geography, practice depth, cost and client reach.