Partners in Asia Pacific are divided on whether the tie-up is good or bad for their prospects.

EJ Evans joins Legal Speak co-host Patrick Smith during the General Counsel Conference East in New York.

Shelby Boyd joins Legal Speak co-host Patrick Smith during the General Counsel Conference East in New York.

The prospect of a 3,000-lawyer firm caps a difficult year and a decades-long effort to transcend the Emerald City and compete for the industry's most elite clients.