Heller Ehrman may soon be no more.
The latest round of merger talks with Mayer Brown ended Monday. A Mayer Brown statement cited client and practice conflicts which could not be resolved.
Partners were told Wednesday that dissolution was one of the options for the firm and management understood that partners would begin talking to other firms. Not surprisingly, several individuals and groups have already begun talks, sources said.
Whether options other than dissolution remain on the table is not clear. The consensus among industry watchers is that there are really no other viable alternatives. A firm spokesman said, “We continue to consider our strategic options.”
According to one source, Baker & McKenzie, with whom merger talks fell apart in August, is trying to gobble up large pieces of Heller Ehrman.
If dissolution is in the future for Heller Ehrman, it’s uncertain how soon a decision might be made.