Bingham has lost almost all its London partners, after they dumped it in favour of Akin Gump.

Last week RollOnFriday reported that they were planning to leave if Bingham pushed ahead with plans to merge with fellow US firm Morgan Lewis. Now Akin Gump has confirmed that 22 Bingham partners will join its 16, more than doubling its City footprint. Two more Bingham partners in Frankfurt and another in Hong Kong are also coming aboard, and junior lawyers are expected to make the move too. Otherwise they will find themselves at the bottom of a very broad pyramid, since only five Bingham partners are currently staying behind.

It means Bingham will lose one of its best-performing offices and most of its presence in London. And it can't even use the web address www.MorganBingham if it does merge: well, not unless it makes a generous donation to the young man who currently owns it.


  "Odd design choice but look at those medals. Let's instruct them."

Akin Gump is installing Bingham's London managing partner James Roome as its senior partner in the City. Roome called the move "a major step forward for our team". And possibly for his wallet, too, if the rumours are true that Bingham slashed partners' pay following a 12.6% plunge in revenue last year. Akin has been doing rather better, with a 7% rise in revenue. Though Akin chairwoman Kim Koopersmith said Roome hadn't approached the firm on a "dollar and cents" basis (possibly because in London people use poundsterlings).
 
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Comments

Roll On Friday 19 September 14 10:47

someone obviously suggested that the two firms should 'get a Roome'.

I'll get me coat