Midsized Chicago firms are standing firm against the notion that they must merge in order to compete with large national and international firms. Hinshaw & Culbertson; Chapman and Cutler; Schiff Hardin; and Wildman, Harrold, Allen & Dixon are such firms that are confident that they can manage on their own, whether by expanding practice areas, expanding geographically, or taking dissatisfied clients of larger firms. The difficulties of rising expenses such as higher associate salaries and technology costs can put pressure on these midsized firms to seek the support of larger firms. However, others like Schiff Hardin see its smaller size as an advantage when clients want more personal attention.
Source: www.nylawyer.com