Pinsent Masons has signed an alliance with ­international firm Salans that will see the top-25 firms preparing joint pitches and referring work to each other.

Both firms will continue to operate as independent entities, maintaining their respective offices abroad and networks of referral firms, but are now looking to ­collaborate, particularly in the CIS and the UK.

As a result of the alliance Pinsents will end its participation in the PMLG group.

Pinsents senior partner Chris Mullen said: “We’ve decided to exert all of our attention into our new international alliance with Salans, so we’ll be winding down our relationship with the PMLG network during 2009.”

Salans global chairman Stephen Finch said that one of the principal attractions of the alliance for his firm will be Pinsents’ seven UK offices.