Best friends Heneler, Davis Polk and Slaughters get serious

In early October at the International Bar Association meeting in Barcelona, Hannes Schneider of German firm Hengeler Müller Weitzel Wirtz outlined the strategy he called the integrated team concept. Schneider defines the strategy, which unites Hengeler, US firm Davis Polk & Wardwell and the UK's Slaughter and May, as a direct alternative to the alliances and cross-border mergers between law firms. This is the first time that Hengeler has taken the opportunity to explain the strategy in detail and to market it to such a wide audience. Although the existence of a special relationship has been known for some time, the details can now be revealed.