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True Love?

"You say my kisses are not like his/This time I'm not gonna tell you why that is."

It's nice when two firms decide to end their courtship and tie the knot. So it is with baited breath we wait to see whether Akerman will navigate through choppy waters and find love on the other side, in the warm arms of Philly-based Wolf Block:

Merger talks between the firms have been under way for weeks.

One roadblock in the discussions is Wolf Block?s unfunded pension plan. Wolf Block wants Akerman to take over that financial liability, the sources said.

Mid-level attorneys at Akerman are reluctant to back the merger because of the financial liability it could cause them. One offer on the table entails a year-long probationary merger, after which the parties could back out, a source said.

The marriage of the firms would also give birth to a new name. A source said the combination would likely be called Akerman Wolf. That, too, is still being hashed out.

A senior shareholder at the firm who spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed that talks are progressing and that the pension plan is the major sticking point. The shareholder said a vote is not imminent but that he would support a merger with another large firm.

The shareholder said Akerman has been in talks with other firms, too.

Akerman and Wolf Block have little geographic overlap. Wolf Block is concentrated in the Northeast, while Akerman is predominantly a Florida firm with outposts in places like Washington and Los Angeles.

I know I have some Akerman readers. Does this merger make sense? Thrilled as in new love, or jaded like the rest of us humpers? Respond privately if you wish (anonymity secured).

Full post as published by South Florida Lawyers on May 16, 2008 (boomark / email).