Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer full merger completed

UK-based Herbert Smith Freehills and US firm Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel officially completed their full merger on June 1st, creating Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, a global firm with over 2,700 lawyers, more than 630 partners, and annual revenues exceeding USD 2 billion.

Following the merger, the new firm Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, which will operate in the U.S. under the name HSF Kramer to continue benefiting from the strong brand recognition of the New York firm, makes a grand entrance into the top 25 global law firms, with a team of more than 2,700 lawyers, including around 630 partners, and annual revenues exceeding USD 2 billion.

Kramer Levin, with over 300 lawyers and offices in New York, Washington D.C., and Silicon Valley (in addition to a small presence in Paris), is known for its expertise in litigation and corporate transactions in the U.S. Its strengths complement those of Herbert Smith Freehills, which has a broad footprint across Europe and Asia-Pacific, operating in 16 countries.

Gaining scale in a globalized sector as legal services, where key clients are multinational corporations, has become a top priority for leading firms, as is building a strong presence in the United States, the world’s largest legal market and home to the majority of revenues in international legal practice.

In this context, the aim of the merger is to leverage synergies to grow in key sectors such as energy, financial services, infrastructure, mining, and technology across the Atlantic. The new firm will also pursue a second phase of expansion in areas including litigation, private equity, M&A, restructurings, securitizations, real estate, white-collar crime, class actions, intellectual property, and arbitration.

The newly merged firm is led by Rebecca Maslen-Stannage as Chair and Senior Partner, a position she will hold until April 30, 2029, and Justin D’Agostino as the firm’s Chief Executive Officer.

Additionally, Jeremy Walden has been appointed Executive Partner for the UK and EMEA as of June 1st. Over a three-year term, he will oversee the firm’s strategic implementation and development across its 12 offices in the region.

Rebecca Maslen-Stannage, Chair and Senior Partner of the newly formed Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, said: “This combination is a historic and long-term commitment from both firms to pursue our future together as a combined entity — and this is only the beginning,”

Eduardo Soler Tappa, managing partner in Spain, described the move as an “inevitable” trend, highlighting the growing necessity for law firms to expand on both sides of the Atlantic.