McGrigors partners to begin voting over Pinsents merger deal

McGrigors partners are set to vote tomorrow (3 February) on the firm’s proposed merger with Pinsent Masons.

Voting will open tomorrow morning at the Scottish firm after the pair confirmed last month that they were in discussions about a union that, if confirmed, would create a firm just outside the UK top 10 with combined revenues of around £282m.

Partners at UK top 20 firm Pinsents are expected to vote on the deal over several days in the first half of this month, with neither firm confirming when a decision will be announced.

It is thought the deal is likely to gain approval at McGrigors, even though there has been speculation about how many of the firm’s partners will join the equity at the combined firm.

Both firms have broad UK bases, with Pinsents operating across six offices in London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds and Birmingham, while McGrigors has a presence in London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Belfast, Aberdeen and Manchester.

Pinsents also has international offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Dubai, while McGrigors has further bases in Doha and the Falkland Islands.

A tie-up would create a 1,500-lawyer firm, including around 400 partners, with particular strength in energy and infrastructure and construction law.

Confirming the talks last month in a joint statement, the firms said: "A potential tie-up would greatly benefit the clients of both firms, providing a wealth of market-leading expertise across a number of sectors and practice areas. It would also provide a strong platform upon which to grow internationally, with a continued focus in Europe, the Gulf and Asia Pacific.”

By Rose Orlik