Winston Taylor launches as 1,400-lawyer transatlantic firm with private wealth at its core
The merger of Winston & Strawn and Taylor Wessing UK went live on 1 June 2026, creating a £1.2bn firm that positions private wealth as one of four defining capabilities.
On 1 June 2026, Winston & Strawn and Taylor Wessing’s UK-led business merged into a single firm under the name Winston Taylor. The combined practice has more than 1,400 lawyers across 20 global offices and revenue of around £1.2bn ($1.6bn), which puts it just outside the top 40 in the Global 200 ranking, according to data from Law.com.
A private wealth platform at scale
The firm is organised around four practice areas: litigation, transactions, intellectual property, and private wealth. Private wealth was central from the start. Taylor Wessing had an established private client practice across the UK, Europe, and the Middle East; Winston & Strawn contributed US litigation and transactional depth. “Private capital and our private clients sit at the heart of leading businesses, industries and markets across the globe,” said Shane Gleghorn, now managing partner of Europe and Middle East, in a statement to Spear’s.
The ambition is a single cross-border team for UHNW clients whose wealth and business interests span multiple jurisdictions. Gleghorn described private wealth as “a really important part of the deal” and one “not replicated by any other firm of this scale.”
Structure and geography
Chairman Stephen D’Amore, who led Winston & Strawn, remains chairman. Taylor Wessing’s Netherlands and Belgium offices joined the combined firm; full integration is pending regulatory approvals. The rest of the Taylor Wessing alliance (Germany, France, Austria, Poland, and others) continues under the legacy brand with a cooperation and referral arrangement in place.
The office footprint covers London, Dublin, Dubai, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, São Paulo, and several other European cities. D’Amore said integration had proceeded “at record speed” ahead of the launch.
Context: a wave of transatlantic consolidation
Winston Taylor is one of three major transatlantic combinations now moving. Ashurst and Perkins Coie secured partner approval in April 2026 for a tie-up due to complete in the third quarter; Hogan Lovells and Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft approved their merger with a 1 July 2026 launch date, according to the Global Legal Post.
The pattern is the same in each case: UHNW clients increasingly want counsel that works across US and European jurisdictions without handing matters off between separate firms. Whether a 1,400-lawyer structure actually delivers that, or just adds overhead, will become clear as the integration plays out.
What this means for families selecting advisers
Winston Taylor is a new option for UHNW families that need transatlantic private client coverage in one firm. The headline revenue number tells you nothing useful. What matters is whether the individuals you want to retain stay. Firms of this size routinely lose partners in the 12 to 24 months after a deal closes, and cross-referencing adviser profiles across independent rankings (Chambers, Legal 500, Spear’s) is the most direct way to check.
Sources: Global Legal Post; Spear’s; Law Gazette.
