Linklaters unveils Swedish merger and Brazil link-up

Mergers: Alliance integration finally back on track

City giant Linklaters has at last had some good news from its European Alliance partners after Swedish firm Lagerlf & Leman agreed to merge.In a double international swoop, Linklaters has also announced a co-operation agreement with a top Brazilian firm.

The merger will take effect from 1 September and the 425-partner firm will practise under the name Linklaters Lagerlf in Sweden and as Linklaters elsewhere.

In January, Linklaters achieved the first merger with one of its Alliance partners - Germany's Oppenhoff & Rdler.

However, in April, Dutch member De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek rejected full merger, while Belgian member De Bandt Van Hecke Lagae & Loesch is hesitating.

The De Brauw pull-out has delayed a partnership vote at the Belgian firm (see [2001] Gazette, 1 June, 5).De Bandt managing partner Roel Nieuwdorp told the Gazette this week that the Lagerlf merger would have a positive effect on negotiations, freeing up Linklaters to focus on his firm.

'We are next in line,' he said.The link-up with nine-partner Brazilian firm Goulart PenteadoIervolino e Lefosse, the eighth biggest practice in the country, builds on Linklaters' two-partner office there; both are in So Paulo.

It becomes effective from 1 July.

Neil Rose