Hogan Lovells and Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft have announced their intention to merge, becoming Hogan Lovells Cadwalader, the largest law firm combination to date, creating a global footprint covering the Americas, EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa), and the Asia-Pacific (APAC).
The merger will establish the world’s fifth-largest law firm, with more than USD3.6 billion in annual revenue and 3,100 lawyers worldwide. It is also set to strengthen Hogan Lovells’ transatlantic finance platform and provide Cadwalader with a global, multidisciplinary firm with regulatory and sector expertise.
Hogan Lovells chief executive Miguel Zaldivar will lead the combined firm. Cadwalader co-managing partners Pat Quinn and Wesley Misson will join the international management committee. Quinn will be global managing partner for client and practice integration, and Misson will be global managing partner for finance.
Cadwalader, founded in 1792 and Wall Street’s oldest firm, focuses on bank lending, corporate and M&A, litigation, restructuring and private wealth, with three US offices and one each in the UK and Ireland.
Hogan Lovells has around 2,800 lawyers across 35 offices worldwide, including APAC hubs in China, Japan, Indonesia, Vietnam and Singapore, with expertise in regulatory matters, corporate M&A, IP and litigation.
The merger will provide both firms with access to more than 140 APAC lawyers across corporate, finance, compliance and investigations, TMT, IP, life sciences, data protection and international trade.
The proposed combination is subject to customary closing conditions, including partner approval votes at both firms, expected in 2026.
