Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe is nearing a deal to acquire well-known Paris law firm Rambaud Martel, the latest move in an aggressive overseas expansion this year by the San Francisco-based Orrick.
The 750-lawyer Orrick would pick up about 50 lawyers, including name partner and rainmaker Jean-Pierre Martel, to boost its Paris presence to about 90 attorneys, an informed source confirmed.
Orrick opened in Paris three years ago with 42 lawyers who defected from U.K. firm Watson, Farley & Williams. Earlier this year it added two partners, George Yates and Philippe Rincazaux, from the Paris office of New York-based Coudert Brothers, which is dissolving.