Transatlantic law will soon have another major name vying for business - Winston Taylor - after Chicago-based Winston & Strawn and Taylor Wessing’s UK arm confirmed that they plan to merge. 

Completion of the combination, which will create a firm of 1,400 lawyers across 20 offices, is expected in May 2026, subject to partner votes. Taylor Wessing in the Netherlands and Belgium will also operate under the Winston Taylor brand.

'Once combined, we will have a London-headquartered partner that fulfils our long-held ambition to grow in the UK, while preserving the culture, agility, focus, and relentless client service that define Winston & Strawn,’ said Steve D’Amore, chairman of Winston & Strawn, who will continue as chairman of the combined firm. 'This combination will establish an elite practice in the major commercial centres important to our clients.'

Taylor Wessing

 Chicago-based Winston & Strawn and Taylor Wessing’s UK arm have confirmed that they plan to merge

Source: Alamy 

Shane Gleghorn, managing partner of Taylor Wessing UK, will become managing partner of Europe and Middle East at Winston Taylor. 'In Winston & Strawn, Taylor Wessing UK will have a US partner that shares our vision, our values, and culture, and absolute focus on the highest levels of client service,’ said Gleghorn. 'By combining Winston & Strawn’s strength in the major hubs across the United States with our coverage of the key centres of London, Europe, and the Middle East we will have created a firm with the highest level of transatlantic capabilities in key practices and sectors.'

Other European members of the Taylor Wessing alliance, which has 16 offices in ten countries worldwide, will not be part of the new combination. Oliver Bertram, global co-chair and managing partner at Taylor Wessing Germany, said: 'As an independent European alliance, we aim for the best of both worlds: on the one hand, through the cooperation agreement with our English colleagues, we continue to serve our joint international clients and mandates at the highest level. On the other hand, we are driving growth and innovation culture of our Taylor Wessing alliance while also joining up with other law firms in Europe and the US. Based on our existing long-term strategy, we want to push ahead with Taylor Wessing as a European legal services powerhouse driven by innovation and delivery.'

From next May the alliance will comprise affiliates in Germany, France, Austria, Poland, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Hungary, China (representative offices in Shanghai and Beijing) and the US (representative offices in San Francisco and New York).