Lovells unites with Simon to underpin French base

MERGER: alliance will double size of Paris corporate practice

City firm Lovells has strengthened its French base by announcing a merger with Paris-based corporate specialists Simon & Associs.Simon & Associs has 12 partners and 35 other lawyers divided between Paris and Brussels, and the merger, effective as of November 2001, will mean that Lovells' Paris office will expand to 25 partners and its Brussels office to eight.

The combined firm will continue to be known worldwide as Lovells.

Lovells has offices in 26 locations across Europe, Asia and the US, and this merger is part of an ongoing European expansion strategy.

Earlier this year, the firm completed a merger with Dutch firm Ekelmans Den Hollander and established offices in Italy and Hungary.

Lovells senior partner Andrew Walker said: 'One of our most important objectives in Europe has been to strengthen our Paris operation, so that its size, quality and breadth of expertise stays in line with our position in the UK and Germany.' The merger will double the size of Lovells' corporate practice in France, along with reinforcing areas such as employment, European Union and competition law, and tax law.

Mr Walker said: 'Of the many arguments in favour of merger, the most compelling is undoubtedly our enhanced position as a leading corporate firm, meaning that we will be better placed for cross-border and domestic mergers and acquisitions work.' Victoria MacCallum