Berwins and Paisners set date

INTERNATIONAL GROWTH: City firms agree 80% lockstep/20% merit split for partners

The merger between Berwin Leighton and Paisner & Co will create a better launchpad firm for international growth, Harold Paisner, Paisners senior partner, said this week...The merger between Berwin Leighton and Paisner & Co will create a better launchpad firm for international growth, Harold Paisner, Paisners senior partner, said this week.The merger, scheduled for 1 May 2001, will transform the two firms with 60 and 56 partners respectively into a top 15 City practice with 116 partners and 430 fee-earners.Berwin Leighton Paisner, as it will be known, will be a major new media and technology player, and will dominate the property sector.

Berwin Leighton managing partner Neville Eisenberg and Mr Paisner, retain their roles on the new firms management board.The only foreign office the two firms have between them is Berwins Brussels presence.

Mr Paisner said: Our combined strength certainly will enable the firm to develop new international relationships.

We already have a good relationship with Paris and Brussels-based French firm Uettweiler, Grelon, Gout, Canat & Associes, and will be looking in the future for opportunities in France, Germany, Italy and obviously in the US.Former Paisner managing partner Stephen Rosefield will be responsible for integration on the management board, which consists of six Berwins partners and four from Paisners.

There will be four departmental heads controlling the corporate, property, finance, and litigation and dispute resolution sectors.

The departments will be in one of the two firms City offices, although detailed merger plans including the composition of the management board are still ongoing.The new firm which will operate on an 80% lockstep/20% merit partnership profit basis brings together a range of corporate clients including Argos, Barclays, AON, Legal & General, Whitbread, Forte hotels and the Royal Bank of Scotland.Mr Eisenberg said the mergers rationale was to create a strong corporate capability in addition to preeminence in the property sector.See Editorial page 16Jeremy Fleming