Herbert Smith could be the next UK firm to open its doors in Australia, The Lawyer has speculated. The Lawyer said that the proposed mode of market entry was unknown and quoted anonymous sources as suggesting Blake Dawson and Freehills had been involved in talks.

The market rumour mill has had mixed success in predicting international mergers. Last year, prior to the Clifford Chance entry being formally announced, the media correctly named Chang, Pistilli & Simmons as a  prospective merger partner. However, several other firms such as Corrs and Gilbert + Tobin were also named as likely suspects.