June had two very different stories. The first was the launch of Ashurst Perkins Coie. After partners approved the transatlantic merger in April, the combined firm went live around the end of June, earlier than the third quarter target, according to reporting. It launched with more than 950 partners across 52 offices. Both firms said their history of innovation, including early adoption of AI, was part of the strategic fit.

The second story was a smaller one, and a good example of the other model in the market. On 15 June, UK firm Addleshaw Goddard announced it was entering the Netherlands by merging with Amsterdam firm Florent. A team of 104 legal and business services professionals, including 17 partners and 44 lawyers, was due to join from 1 July, creating Addleshaw Goddard's 22nd office. The deal is part of the firm's AG2030 strategy and follows earlier openings in Germany, France and Spain.

Two paths for buyers. Compare the two. Ashurst Perkins Coie is a merger of equals across the Atlantic, with all the integration work that entails. Addleshaw Goddard's move is a bolt-on, where a UK firm acquires a local practice to enter a market. The second approach is cheaper, quicker and easier to integrate, but it depends on keeping the sellers' partners and clients after the deal.

Sellers' questions. If you lead a firm like Florent, the key issues are what happens to your name, clients and independence, how your partners are bought in, and whether the buyer will invest in your market or treat you as an outpost. Retention incentives, deferred consideration and clear management roles tend to matter more than headline price.

Europe as a target. The Dutch deal fits a pattern of UK firms using continental acquisitions to follow clients and to diversify away from a single market. Brexit made direct UK service across EU borders harder, so a local presence has real commercial value.

AI. Mergers announced in June often come with technology pledges. Expect combined firms to harmonise tools, which means choosing between platforms. That process is one of the unglamorous but expensive parts of integration.