Beitens' KPMG talks puts paid to the BBLP alliance

The alliance between Beitens and Moquet Borde & Associés in France, Italian firm Pavia e Ansaldo and Meyer Lustenberger in Switzerland was heading towards full merger before Beitens began talking to KPMG. But the shock of the German firm's decision to link up with KPMG led to an implosion of the BBLP alliance, triggered by Pavia.
Beitens was reported to have offered all the BBLP firms the opportunity of joining in the merger with KPMG. Pavia in particular was not impressed. Roberto Zanchi, a partner at Pavia's Milan office, said: "Beitens just decided to do the KPMG merger. We instigated the dissolution as we knew that KPMG had an Italian friend."
He added that he expects Pavia to continue working with the Swiss and French firms on an unofficial basis.
Moquet Borde declined the KPMG offer, but Beitens managing partner Jack Schiffer said that Meyer Lustenberger is in talks with KLegal's Swiss firm KPMG Fides.