The partnerships of London-based Denton Wilde Sapte and Chicago-based Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal have voted in favour of a merger. The new firm, to be known as SNR Denton, will officially launch on 30 September and will have over 1400 lawyers across 18 countries.

The merger will be structured as a Swiss Verein, with the new firm to be composed of a number of  member firms, each of which will be a separate legal entity. Baker & McKenzie is perhaps the best known existing example of such a structure. SNR Denton said in a statement that no office closures would take place, particularly in light of the fact that the two firms had distinct geographic footprints.

In a strategy somewhat reminiscent of the Norton Rose "headlights" practice areas, SNR Denton said that it would develop a disciplined focus on eight key sectors: financial Institutions and funds; energy, transport and infrastructure; insurance; real estate, retail and hotels; technology, media & telecommunications; health & life sciences, manufacturing and government.

As ALB has previously noted, the new firm will be light on any Australasian presence as Sonnenschein has no Asia offices and Denton Wilde's Asia presence is limited to Singapore. By contrast the other trans-Atlantic merger of recent times, Hogan Lovells, has seven Asia offices spanning China, Singapore, Vietnam, Hong Kong and Japan.