Stephenson Harwood and Taylor Wessing call off merger talks

Stephenson Harwood and Taylor Wessing have called off their proposed merger, bringing an end to talks that would have significantly expanded Stephenson Harwood’s European footprint.

In a joint statement, the firms said they had been impressed by each other’s businesses and market positioning but had decided against proceeding.

“Following constructive talks, we have mutually agreed not to take the proposed merger forward,” they said. “We have valued the opportunity to get to know each other better and wish each other every success for the future."

The discussions emerged in October, with reports pointing to a potential combination in May 2027.

A deal would have brought together Stephenson Harwood and the continental European Taylor Wessing business following the departure of its UK-led operation to form Winston Taylor with US firm Winston & Strawn in June.

Preceded by departures

The decision comes less than a week after Addleshaw Goddard announced it would recruit a 20-person Taylor Wessing team in Munich, spanning corporate and M&A, private equity, restructuring and insolvency.

Partners Hendrik Boss, Christian Saueressig, Sven Schweneke and Elisabeth Schalk will join AG in the new year alongside five salary partners and their wider teams.

Stephenson Harwood also saw the departure of its highly-regarded secondaries team to A&O Shearman, led by partners Gabriel Boghossian and Sarah de Ste Croix, in early October.

In revenue terms, the proposed combination would have been close to a merger of equals: Taylor Wessing’s CEE, German and French offices recorded revenue of around €313 million (£271 million) in 2025/26, while Stephenson Harwood reported revenue of £303 million over the same period.

Stephenson Harwood's office launch in Madrid this June took the firm up to 12 global offices, while Taylor Wessing has 16 offices across 11 jurisdictions.

Last month, Stephenson Harwood appointed banking and finance head James Linforth as its next chief executive. Linforth will take over on 1 January 2027 from Eifion Morris, who is stepping down after seven years in the role.