Law firm updates from Companies House rarely provide anything more intriguing than end-of-year accounts or the occasional arcane change to managerial structures.

But an update from the famously tight-lipped Slaughter and May (known for declining to publish its partners’ profit share and disdain for the ampersand) caught us off guard. An alert this week informed us that the firm – in its 130th year - had filed notice for a change of name.

Surely an unexpected merger, and the addition of several more names, couldn't be on the cards? If Messrs William Capel Slaughter and William May were to be joined by new arrivals along the lines of CMS Cameron McKenna's gift to signwriters on piece-rates, that would be front page news. Maybe, we thought, the firm was worried that overseas clients might assume a connection with another individual named May? 

After a quick call to Slaughter and May’s chief spokesperson – known in the trade as ‘No Comment’ – we established this was not a rebranding exercise but rather notice of a ’tweak to the operating company name’. All will be revealed in four days. ‘Our name is not changing,’ they assured us.

It looks like we won’t be seeing ‘Revive and June’ any time soon. 

 

 

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