Legal alliance set to drop Ernst & Young from its title

The European legal network of Ernst & Young (EY) is considering a total rebrand that will drop its Ernst & Young title.

The network, which is currently called the Ernst & Young Law Alliance, will drop the full name of the accountancy firm in a bid to avoid regulatory hurdles that beset it in many key jurisdictions, including France, Germany and Spain.

A spokesman for EY Global told The Lawyer: “It is fair to say that we’re considering dropping it.” He said that a final decision has not yet been made.

The European legal network will rebrand using a shared umbrella name which has yet to be decided. The EY Global spokesman said that the final name may reflect the firm’s relationship with E&Y. Similar wrangling over branding is underway at all of the accountancy-tied firms, which have moved to distance themselves from their accounting parents.