With rumours of a Mallesons and Clifford Chance merger intensifying, RollOnFriday has spoken with insiders close to both firms. And the news is that the deal will not be a merger. Technically.

Instead Clifford Chance will set up in its own right in Australia on what appears to be a "best friends" relationship with Mallesons.  Although details of the friendship are yet to emerge, the terms of that relationship seem to include CC will nabbing a few young Mallies hotshots. CC will operate either from Mallesons offices, or from another floor in the same building, and a formal "cross-referral agreement" will be put in place.
 

Mallesons and CC making friends yesterday

All of which sounds like an operational nightmare. A RollOnFriday source claims that CC will focus on cross border M&A and finance, but will ship its domestic work downstairs (or up, as the case may be). Meanwhile Mallesons would handle all national work. Hmm... if this really is the case, then working out the detail will be a lawyer's worst case scenario as as partners of both firms carve out exceptions and exclusions and caveats to protect their client bases.

Got more information? Get in touch here.