A&O Shearman's Partnership Cuts.
A&O Shearman has declared that it will reduce its equity partnership by 10 percent between now and April 2025.
Sources indicate that the partners affected have already been informed. The firm's office located in Johannesburg, South Africa, which opened in 2014, will be closed by the end of the year, and the 32 attorneys and 48 employees will be out of a job.
The A&O managing partner Hervé Ekué said: “As one would expect from a newly merged business, we are actively engaged in post-merger integration. We already see the benefit of synergies and additional opportunities to assist our clients on high-profile international matters, which underpinned the rationale for the merger. We are focused on unleashing the full potential of A&O Shearman to strengthen our value proposition and better serve our clients.
We never take decisions like this lightly, particularly when they affect our people. We are very grateful to the partners who will be leaving the firm, as well as to our teams in Johannesburg and consulting for their contributions over the years. This is a difficult but necessary step forward. We are confident in the opportunities that lie ahead as we continue to achieve exceptional outcomes for clients and solidify our position as a new industry leader.”
Related: A&O Shearman Transitions to All-Equity Partnership: What This Means for the Legal Landscape
A&O Shearman is a global law firm, formed in 2024 as a merger of Allen & Overy and Shearman & Sterling. More than 4,000 lawyers operating in 29 countries with 48 offices, equally fluent in English law, U.S. law and the laws of some of the world’s biggest international markets. A&O Shearman aims to expand its presence in cross-border transactions - banking & finance, capital markets, and corporate/M&A across Europe. The firm excels in areas like energy, projects, and securities: litigation in the US. A&O Shearman intends to focus in energy & infrastructure, established industries, financial institutions, technology, private capital/private equity and life sciences.
