Law firms Norton Rose and Fulbright & Jaworski will merge next year, it has been announced.

The new entity will be called Norton Rose Fulbright and will come into being on June 1, 2013.

Based on figures from 2011, the combined revenue of the two firms is US$1.9bn. The new firm will have 3,800 lawyers and 55 offices worldwide, and, according to Norton Rose, will be among the world’s top 10 largest.

Both firms are known for their strength in the energy sector and the pooling of their experience and resources is likely boost their presence in the sector further.

CEO of Norton Rose – and future CEO of Norton Rose Fulbright – Peter Martyr has told the media that “what we’re getting here is a top class regulatory practice”. Fulbright & Jaworski will be entering business with a firm that has grown substantially in recent years through a series of international merger.

Martyr says, in a written statement: “We have been looking at the US market for a number of years, seeking a firm that meets our requirements for excellence in law, good business synergies and a compatible culture. Fulbright & Jaworski meets all our criteria; it is financially strong, with forward-looking management and similar strategic growth aspirations.”

Nick Grandage, structured trade and commodity finance partner, Norton Rose, tells GTR: “This is another exciting development for Norton Rose. Our combination with Fulbright gives us significant US law capability, enhancing our ability to serve our clients around the world.

“All of our key industry strengths will benefit, including our project finance practice, a core strength for both firms. We will have a market leading position in energy, and Fulbright’s depth of expertise in oil and gas will further strengthen our international trade and commodities finance practice internationally.

“Norton Rose has built a strong presence in emerging markets, and we have advised on trade and commodity finance transactions in more than 50 countries in the past year. Latin America is an increasingly important region for commodity finance and the practice will benefit from Fulbright’s team of more than 30 Latin America specialist lawyers, in addition to our offices in Colombia and Venezuela, who have established an impressive reputation in the region for project finance, energy and arbitration.”