Orrick Calls Off Law Firm Merger With Pillsbury

The creation of what would have been the nation’s ninth-largest law firm (by revenue) is no longer, reported representatives of Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe and Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman.

While the specifics have yet to be detailed, the new firm, which would have been called simply Orrick Pillsbury, is confirmed to no longer be going forward. The two firms have strikingly similar histories, both being founded in the 1860’s in California’s San Francisco Valley. But similarities aside, difficulties created by potential client conflicts seem to have brought the acquisition and merger to a halt, with no potential resolution to be found.

This manner of merger collapse has been seen as recently as 2011, when clients’ conflicting interests stymied law firms Howrey (of Washington) and Winston & Strawn (based in Chicago) from moving forward with their own deal.

Both Pillsbury Chairman James Rishwain and Orrick Chairman Mitch Zuklie have expressed disappointment that their respective firms were unable to come to a compromise that would appease their clients and allow the merger to move forward. The interest was in growing a singular firm to over 1,500 lawyers who would complement each other’s expertise in areas including technology, energy and infrastructure, and financial services. Orrick has represented such technology giants as Apple and Microsoft, while Pillsbury has worked with Xerox and Chevron, among others.

Zuklie and Rishwain have stated that they have mutually agreed not to recruit partners from within the other’s ranks, and both parties expressed respect for the other’s firm.

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