Winston & Strawn announced Monday that it has agreed to a trans-Atlantic merger with Taylor Wessing, the global business law firm ranked among the top 20 law firms in the United Kingdom.
Once final, the combined law firm will be known as Winston Taylor with 1,400 lawyers and combined revenues of $1.75 billion.
Founded in 1853, Chicago-based Winston & Strawn has nearly 1,000 lawyers across 14 cities and ranks 46th in revenue among the 2025 Am Law 200 and 60th in size by the National Law Journal.
In the latest rankings for the Texas Lawbook 50, Winston & Strawn’s Dallas and Houston offices ranked 18th in combined headcount for Texas and 15th in Texas-based revenue with $215 million for 2024.
Taylor Wessing, founded in 1782, has 450 lawyers across 26 offices in 16 locations in the U.K., Ireland and the Middle East.
“Once combined, we will have a London-headquartered partner that fulfills our long-held ambition to grow in the UK, while preserving the culture, agility, focus, and relentless client service that define Winston & Strawn,” said Winston chairman Steve D’Amore, who will continue as chairman of the combined firm.
“This combination will establish an elite practice in the major commercial centers important to our clients. Winston Taylor will be positioned to lead on the most sophisticated litigation and transactions in the world’s most defining industries.”
In Texas, the new combined firm will provide a global venue for such inherited legal talent as Tom Melsheimer, Michael Blankenship, Andrew Betaque, Billie Ellis, Brian Goolsby, Charlie Haag, Justin Hoffman, Tom Hughes, Ming Lei, Susan Purcell, Justin Reinus, Ben Smolij, Matt Stockstill, Steve Stodghill and Christina Tate.
“In Winston & Strawn, Taylor Wessing UK will have a U.S. partner that shares our vision, our values, and culture, and absolute focus on the highest levels of client service,” said Shane Gleghorn, managing partner of Taylor Wessing UK, who will oversee the firm’s offices in Europe and the Middle East and will become a member of its Executive Committee.
“By combining Winston & Strawn’s strength in the major hubs across the United States with our coverage of the key centers of London, Europe, and the Middle East we will have created a firm with the highest level of transatlantic capabilities in key practices and sectors.”
The agreement is still subject to a vote of the partners of each firm, but completion of the merger is expected in May 2026.
The firm will have 20 offices, including two in Texas: Amsterdam, Brussels, Cambridge, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Dubai, Dublin, Eindhoven, Houston, Liverpool, London, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Paris, San Francisco, São Paulo, Silicon Valley, and Washington, D.C.
Under the agreement Taylor Wessing Belgium and the Netherlands will operate under the Winston Taylor brand with a cooperation and referral arrangement with the between Winston Taylor and the Taylor Wessing verein.