Ernst & Young voted this weekend and Andersens is expected to announce an agreement in principle in the next few days.
The merger will create a link-up between Andersens and Ernst & Young's associated firm Menold & Aulinger Anwaltssozietät.
Menold was originally based in Stüttgart with offices in Berlin, Dresden, Düss-eldorf, Frankfurt and Munich. But in June 2000 it merged with Krameyer Falkenhausen Hanke & Partner and Aul-inger & Spieker and now has offices throughout Germany.
The talks with Ernst & Young follow Andersens' decision not to merge with KPMG, whose associated German legal firm merged with Beiten Bürkhardt at the beginning of the year.
Andersens had a massive recruitment drive in Germany last year when it took on nine partners from German firm Wessing, including ex-chairman Wolfgang von Meibom, high-profile M&A partner Alexander Schroder-Frerkes and competition partner Jan Byok.
So far there have been no defections from Andersens, but it is understood that a number of partners are considering other options.
Children in care
A staggering 36,400 children are currently accommodated by local authorities under care orders. The number has increased by 27 per cent in the past six years. It is frequently, and sometimes incorrectly, assumed that children will return home under care orders when the local authority has said so in its care plan. The House of […]