The partnerships of King & Wood and Mallesons have set an "aspirational" goal of full financial integration by 2015, sources from both firms have told ALB.  The firms had previously announced a full integration of Hong Kong operations from 1 March and the use of a Swiss Verein structure to unite the non-integrated partnership elements under a single brand.

However, the firms have opted not to publicly comment on the full integration. When questioned at a press event on Friday at which King & Wood chairman Wang Junfeng was also present, global managing partner Stuart Fuller characterised the financial integration matter as being of minor importance and said that a non-integrated structure was accepted practice at many other international professional services firms.

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