...as Mallesons rekindles talks

First it was on, then it was off and now the merger of Australian firm

Mallesons Stephen Jaques and Clifford Chance is back on.

In last week's The Lawyer, Clifford Chance's global head of finance

Stephen Popham said the merger was off because "we cannot agree on the

structure".

Now a senior source at the firm says the talks are back on - because of

The Lawyer article. The news story prompted Mallesons to push harder by

conceding ground.

The source says: "A combination of their own change in thinking and the

article may lead to some discussions being re-established.

"We are not going hunting, but we are always interested to hear what other

firms have to say. But our main job at the moment is integrating Rogers &

Wells and Punders."