In Their Words: BigLaw Leaders on Why They Merged

Tom Cole, the managing partner of Troutman Pepper, was quoted in the May 18, 2022 Law360 article, “In Their Words: BigLaw Leaders On Why They Merged.”

We began conversations in early 2019 and invested the time to really make sure it made sense, not only from a practice perspective but from a people perspective. Our shared focus on excellence and client service, including early investments in new and innovative tools and technologies, helped to convince us it was the right move. It’s no accident that we now have departments dedicated entirely to both areas: innovation and client experience.

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We sought, and continue to seek out, partners with strengths in areas that are important to our clients and important to large portions of our economy. Each firm had recognized strengths in certain sectors and strong brands in certain geographies. It was important to find a firm with complementary practices and geographic reach that would allow us to better and more broadly serve our clients. It was also important for us to find a partner who was committed to building diverse and inclusive teams and a shared passion for pro bono and community service.

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When it became clear that together our combined firm would be able to increase the depth and breadth of the services we could provide all our clients and that together we would have market-leading strengths in energy, financial services, health sciences, insurance and private equity. As importantly, when it became clear that we would enjoy working together.

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One of our principal challenges was nothing we ever could have anticipated: a global pandemic. Our merger was announced in January 2020, and we had originally intended to be Troutman Pepper by April 2020. We decided to postpone the merger by several months to prioritize the health and wellbeing of our people. Merging people, processes and technologies in a completely remote environment was a monumental undertaking that was only successful thanks to the resilience and dedication of our people. Having that shared experience served to strengthen the foundation upon which Troutman Pepper was built and position us well for a bright and successful future.