London-based Denton Wilde Sapte and Chicago-based Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal are in advanced merger talks and both firms will conduct partnership votes on the matter on 9 June. The management boards of both firms have made unanimous recommendations to their respective partnerships that the merger proposal be accepted. If approved, the merger will take effect from 30 September 2010.

The combined firm, to be known as SNR Denton, would have over 1400 lawyers across 18 countries, although the absence of any substantial Asia presence is conspicuous.  Sonnenschein has no Asia offices and Denton Wilde's Asia presence is limited to Singapore. This may well provide an opening for a third firm with a strong Asia-Pacific presence to join the merger.

Coming on the heels of the Lovells-Hogan & Hartson union, the SNR Denton merger again supports the theory that the Trans-Atlantic, rather than the Asia-Pacific, is where the next battery of major mergers will occur. Nonetheless, Australian firms continue to report receiving overtures from overseas suitors.