Law Firms Joining Forces in 2026: Why Bigger is Better

Law firms are teaming up at a faster pace. In 2025, there were 59 mergers. That is 18% more than the year before. Experts say this trend will continue in 2026. The main reason? Size matters. Bigger firms have more money. They can afford to pay top dollar for skilled lawyers. They can also invest in new tech. This includes artificial intelligence. These tools help them work smarter. But they cost a lot. So, firms are merging to share the burden. In 2025, seven big mergers involved firms with over 100 lawyers. Most mergers included at least one small firm. This shows that everyone wants a piece of the pie. The goal? To stay competitive.Three major mergers are already set for 2026. Hogan Lovells and Cadwalader will combine. They will have 3, 100 lawyers and $3. 6 billion in revenue. Winston & Strawn and Taylor Wessing will merge in May. Ashurst and Perkins Coie will join forces later in the year. Why are U. S. and UK firms merging? U. S. firms want a stronger presence in London. UK firms see opportunities in the U. S. market. This includes New York. It's all about growth and expansion. But why are mergers on the rise? One reason is slow growth in the legal industry. Firms need to stand out. They need to take market share from others. Merging is one way to do this.