The
votes
are
in,
and
it’s
officially
time
to
say
hello
to
what
could
be
a
new
Am
Law
Top
20
Biglaw
firm.
With
news
of
the
potential
tie-up
first
announced
in
May,
and
following
an
“overwhelmingly”
positive
partnership-wide
poll,
McDermott
Will
&
Emery
and
Schulte
Roth
&
Zabel
are
poised
to
sign
a
merger
agreement
by
July
1.
Combined,
the
firm
will
have
more
than
1,750
lawyers
spread
across
more
than
20
offices
globally,
with
joint
revenue
of
more
than
$2.8
billion.
On
top
of
that,
the
merger
will
create
a
new
top
New
York
firm,
with
more
than
540
lawyers
servicing
clients
in
the
city
that
never
sleeps.
Ira
Coleman,
McDermott’s
chairman,
said
in
a
statement
that
through
this
merger,
the
firms
are
“not
just
expanding
our
expertise,
we’re
redefining
what
it
means
to
be
a
modern,
elite
law
firm—deeply
specialized,
relentlessly
client-focused,
and
committed
to
a
people-first
culture.”
Marc
Elovitz
and
David
Efron,
Schulte’s
co-managing
partners,
echoed
Coleman’s
words,
with
Elovitz
noting
that
by
adding
SRZ’s
“extraordinary
talent
and
premier
client
base
with
McDermott’s
world-class
platform,
we’re
creating
a
unique
firm
with
unmatched
capabilities.
It’s
truly
transformational.”
Efron
agreed,
stating,
“This
is
a
first-of-its-kind
deal
in
our
profession—with
two
elite
firms
performing
at
the
highest
levels
choosing
to
come
together—and
we’re
incredibly
excited
to
bring
it
to
life.”
Together,
the
firms
have
agreed
to
go
forward
under
the
name
McDermott
Will
&
Schulte,
kicking
Emery,
Roth,
and
Zabel
to
the
curb.
The
American
Lawyer
has
some
additional
details
on
the
combined
firm’s
rebranding
efforts:
In
his
email,
Coleman
said
the
combination
and
new
name
will
bring
“together
our
two
elite
brands
while
preserving
our
proud
legacies,”
and
McDermott
will
schedule
a
town
hall
in
the
coming
weeks
to
share
more
details
as
the
merger
process
unfolds.He
said
the
firms
will
merge
brands
“in
a
phased
approach
to
fully
leverage
our
shared
strengths
and
market
positions
and
minimize
disruptions.”He
noted
that
in
early
September,
the
combined
firm’s
brand
will
incorporate
“new
colors,
imagery,
and
designs—but,
don’t
worry,
our
beloved
‘M’
logo
will
continue
to
live
on.”“Of
course,
combining
two
firms
of
our
size
will
take
time,
and
we
appreciate
everyone’s
patience
as
we
move
forward.
Our
functional
teams,
in
particular,
are
working
diligently
to
ensure
a
smooth
integration
while
supporting
our
regular
processes
and
functions,”
Coleman’s
note
added.
Now
that
the
merger
has
been
approved,
McDermott
Will
&
Schulte
is
expected
to
be
effective
by
August
1.
Congratulations!
Schulte
and
McDermott
Partners
Vote
to
Merge,
Bringing
Together
‘Two
Elite
Firms’
[American
Lawyer]
Staci
Zaretsky is
a
senior
editor
at
Above
the
Law,
where
she’s
worked
since
2011.
She’d
love
to
hear
from
you,
so
please
feel
free
to
email
her
with
any
tips,
questions,
comments,
or
critiques.
You
can
follow
her
on Bluesky, X/Twitter,
and Threads, or
connect
with
her
on LinkedIn.