The Firm Spy received this cryptic anonymous tip earlier tonight:

declining the merger invitation was always going to be tough

Deacons no more. Norton Rose in Australia.

We then checked the Norton Rose website and found confirmation that the merger is taking place.

International legal practice Norton Rose Group today announced that Deacons Australia will join Norton Rose Group. The decision follows the completion of successful votes by the respective partnerships on 22 June 2009. The new international legal practice will be called Norton Rose Group and will take effect from 1 January 2010.

It appears that Deacons will be renamed Norton Rose.  Well, it could be worse. And look!  Norton Rose is already listing a Melbourne and Sydney office on its locations page.

The merger comes after a turbulent period in the recent history of Deacons. The media release about the merger notes of Deacons:

It has been one of the fastest growing large law firms in that country since 2000 and is now eighth largest by revenue and partner numbers… in the three years to 2008 it achieved cumulative revenue growth of 20 per cent.

What the glitzy press release fails to mention is that such has been the tremendous contraction in the fortunes of Deacons that its partners were forced to: lock the stationary cupboard; make many redundancies; and, of all things, turn off the bathroom lights!

Will the merger lift the fortunes of Deacons?  Whether it marks the first in a spate of consolidation within the legal industry remains to be seen.  Heard rumblings of a merger at your firm?  Send the Firm Spy your news and views!

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