Ambitious firms are primed to open new fronts in Europe

After a year characterised by mergers, Anne Mizzi tips the movers and shakers for 2001

New Year's day is always a popular day for a law firm wedding.

This year's highest profile blushing brides are Linklaters and Warner Cranston, which both plumped for swarthy foreign grooms.It is an appropriate way to follow a year littered with international mergers.

And early signs indicate the vogue for cross-border link-ups - mainly in Europe as firms seek true pan-European coverage - shows no sign of abating.UK firms are now getting the sort of reputation abroad that used to be reserved for the law firms associated with the Big Five accountants.

The Anglo-Saxon invasion has hit hardest in the German and Dutch markets this year, while Italian and Spanish firms have also fought hard for their independence.

Battles have also broken out in Scandinavia and eastern Europe.

The onslaught will continue.Eversheds is aching to get its teeth into Germany, Italy and Spain, now that it has established a unified management and financial structure.

And Lovells has already made headway in Germany, the Netherlands and Italy in 2000, and is said to be in advanced negotiations with a Spanish firm.

DLA is another firm making no bones about its expansionist intentions.

Theodore Goddard is expected to advance into Germany and Italy in the coming months and Osborne Clarke OWA and SJ Berwin are going great guns in Germany and Scandinavia.

If the close liaison between Herbert Smith and Germany's Gleiss Lutz Hootz Hirsch is anything to go by, a merger between these two top-level firms should not be far off.

Following Linklaters' merger with alliance firm Oppenhoff & Rdler, the only remaining top tier firm in Germany is Hengeler Mller Weitzel Wirtz, a firm which is firmly in bed with Slaughter and May - although both say they are just good friends.

Slaughters shows no sign of ditching its 'best friend' strategy.

But by deigning to develop its own international network, keeping its profitability up and remaining independent, it remains the most eligible and prestigious magic circle firm for a New York cruiser.

While Europe is top of the agenda for many firms, others have set their sights across the pond.

Clifford Chance became the first UK firm to merge with a US firm a year ago, followed by Titmuss Sainer Dechert.

Ashurst Morris Crisp hit the headlines when its merger with Latham & Watkins collapsed last year - showing the cultural perils of attempting to bite off more than can be chewed.

Firms that opt for a much larger or much smaller option are more likely to be successful is the lesson to be learned from last year's matches.

Warner Cranston joined forces with Pittsburgh firm Reed Smith.

The growing band will soon be followed by Rakisons, which is merging with Steptoe & Johnson.

The scramble for mergers with the best international firms shows no sign of slowing.

For those firms in alliance or friendship arrangements, the name of the game is to shore up those relationships and ward off rival interlopers.