This Sunday, June 1, one of the most significant alliances of the global legal landscape is consumed. The British signing Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) and the American office Kramer Levin give the «yes, I want» in a fusion that not only adds dizzy figures, but also moves a chip on the board of the legal risk, where power is disputed both in millions and in jurisdictions and talent. Thus Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer is born – or HSF Kramer, as will be known in the United States -, a new global giant with more than 2,000 million dollars in combined revenues, 2,700 lawyers and 640 partners, distributed in 25 offices throughout the planet. With a strong geographical presence, Herbert had been looking for a consort that opened the doors of the planet. Courtship with Kramer Levin – New York is located in 104th position of the classification of The American Lawyer – did not start until 2023. “The Union was announced in November 2024 and in April 2025 the partners of both firms vote in favor of the merger with an overwhelming major Smith Freehills Kramer Spain. «The union of both firms is the fruit of a carefully planned strategy; it was based on cultural and operational compatibility,» he says. This is the second great transatlantic alliance in just over a year, after that of A& O SHEARMAN. In the case of HSF Kramer, the scope is even transpacific: Herbert Smith (United Kingdom) had already joined the Australian Freehills in 2012. This type of movements has marked the course of the sector during the last quarter of the century. The first wave, between 2010 and 2015, gave rise to firms such as Hogan Lovells, Squire Patton Boggs or Dentons. Today, offices not only seek international presence, but to be truly global. To achieve this, they must compete in large markets, especially in the US, where almost half of the legal cake is distributed. As Soler Tappa points out, being there allows us to play «in the First Division» and is key in large litigation and multi -riper operations. Market pressure predicts more alliances of this caliber in the short term. The bridge between New York (Kramer) and London (Herbert) not only supports global ambitions, but also an invisible and powerful pulse: shared talent. Hence the dedication with which both signatures have intertwined two related legal cultures, although with nuances. While in the US, the Eat What You Kill system predominates – in which each partner charges based on what it generates – in Europe the Lock Step model is more common, more collectivist, which rewards antiquity and encourages internal collaboration. Tappa From the beginning “a shared benefit system (Profit Pool) has been adopted,” he details. Although cultures are compatible, economic aspects have been worked, among others. The objective is that talent, wherever it comes from, compensates equally. «Our business model sits on excellence and merit,» he emphasizes. Transparency has been key to consolidating the union of the team. A process, according to the participants, supported by an «open and constant» communication. «Informative sessions and meetings were held to explain the objectives of the fusion, the expected benefits and how will affect employees in their day to day,» says Soler Tappa. They have also worked on the harmonization of human resources policies, «including professional career, adaptation of flexible jobs, benefits and policies,» he adds. As in all good marriage, the new directive dome combines representatives of both houses with the aim of ensuring «that strategic decisions reflect the perspectives and strengths of each and, of course, the retention of the talent and continuity of the teams,» explains Soler Tappa. The firm will be managed by the Global Executive, to which two US partners have been incorporated. The current CEO, Justin D'Agostino, continues, while an executive partner of Kramer Levin has joined the global council. There are also some organizational changes. The former HSF New York and Kramer Levin teams – part of New York, Washington DC and Silicon Valley – will be integrated into the same region under the baton of a new Executive regional in the US, a country in which some firms have received pressures from the Trump administration in its anti -diversity crusade. It has not been the case of Kramer Levin, Soler Tappa points out, who emphasizes: “HSF Kramer aspires to act autonomy against political or administrative changes.” The fusion places Madrid in the new map of the firm. Unlike other places, such as Paris – where Kramer Levin's departure has been resolved naturally, since Herbert had been in France for more than 60 years – the New York office had no previous presence in Spain. «Everything is advantages,» says Soler Tappa. «It will mean a greater international projection, more business and collaboration opportunities; it offers a direct bridge with the US legal market,» he says. For the partner, one of the great virtues of the Alliance is the flow of talent between offices. The neons of the new firm are already ready. Soler Tappa recalls: «Success does not depend only on aligning numbers, but on generating trust.»
The best of each house
Herbert Smith Freehill's legal marriage with Kramer Levin gives rise to one of the 20 most relevant offices on the planet. The first, with a strong presence in the United Kingdom, continental Europe, Asía-Pacific, Australia, the Middle East and Africa, shines in international arbitration, M&A cross-border and energy. Kramer Levin, on the other hand, provides a solid base in the US, with offices in New York, Washington DC and Silicon Valley, the latter strategic for its role in the advice on patents, brands and copyright for technological giants, including several of the so -called seven magnificent, group formed by Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, Meta, Nvidia and Nvidia Tesla. The New York firm is recognized for being strong in complex litigation and corporate law.
