Discover the history of Ashurst Morris Crisp, from its 1822 origins to its transformation into a leading global law firm today.
I still remember. The exact moment I first saw the name “Ashurst Morris Crisp.” I dug. Old bond Documents for a due-diligence project, the kind of task It makes your eyes glaze over of page forty, When I hit a signature block too late 1990s The effect of that name. Wait, is this the same company we work with today? I had no idea. Nor on anyone else on my team. That moment made me curious about the Business Law history behind the firm and how its legacy evolved over time.
So I went down. The rabbit hole, and it turned out to be a much more interesting story than I expected. A simple law firm rebrand.
If you landed here after watching. “Ashurst Morris Crisp” is an old contract, filed in court, a genealogy record, or a dusty corporate history book. You’re probably asking what I asked: What happened to this company, and does it still exist?
It still exists. It just takes. A different name now, and it has increased something far bigger. Anyone from the original company could imagine it back to back. 1822.
Let’s go through it together, the way I wish someone would explain it to me.
Quick Answer
Ashurst Morris Crisp is the historic name of the law firm known today as Seam Ashurst. William Henry Ashurst I founded the company London I 1822. The company collapsed. “Morris Crisp” And rebranded. Ashurst I 2003. In 2026, Ashurst completed. A merger with US Solid Perkins Coie to make Ashurst Perkins Coie, A top 20 global law firm by revenue.
What is Ashurst Morris Crisp?
Ashurst Morris Crisp The name the same law The company you know today Seam Ashurst, One of them the world’s Most established international law Companies, incl roots stretching back over 200 years.
Search for your grandfather’s company and one-time trade under a different name. The core business remained the same. Only the name Prepared as new partners joined and the company expanded.
The name itself works with respect to a timeline. It stings. Together three surnames from three different eras of the firm’s early leadership, A name convention common between old-school professional service Companies Ernst & Young And Deloitte Haskins & Sells followed the same pattern.
From law firms, accounting firms and commercial banks this era Proudly took his name from their founding partners. I almost appreciate the badge I sewed on the letterhead.
The Origin Story: London, 1822
William Henry Ashurst I founded the company London I 1822.
But the time, London built quickly. The financial engine room of the world, And the modern legal profession still was taking shape. Created Ashurst a practice It will sit at the center of that growth for the next two centuries.
Two more names Join us the sign later on:
- John Morris joined the partnership in the 1860s.
- Sir Frank Crisp Together with 1877.
Together, their names created “Ashurst Morris Crisp”, a name that carried the company well. Over a century.
Generations of lawyers were trained. Under that banner And signed thousands of documents below it, explaining why. The name still surfaces in old archives today.
Contemplate esteem this an old family bakery In which names continue to be added. The shop sign Seam new generations Occupants, Excepted this particular “bakery” Some of mine ended up being handled. The world’s biggest financial and corporate deals.
Why did it Ashurst Morris Crisp? Do you desire to change the name?
The 2003 Rebrand
In 2003, the company was doing well beyond London. The council about it. Cross-border finance, Mergers and acquisitions, and complex corporate transactions across multiple continents.
“Assurist Morris Crisp” does not roll off at all. The tongue When you build a global brand in which clients Tokyo, New York, And Frankfurt Need to be recognized immediately.
So the company made it simple. It fell “Morris Crisp” and was rebranded internationally as Ashurst.
Lots of long-established firms created this same move, They efficiently put a legacy name in something cleaner without deleting the heritage behind This McDonald’s Corporation simply became “McDonald’s” in everyday usage. The same reason.
History does not disappear. It just continues behind a simpler front door.
Here’s the key fact If you are looking for this term For verification or due-diligence purposes:
Ashurst Morris Crisp and Ashurst is the same continuous legal entity, Just working under different names But different points in time Nothing sinister No company fell. It’s a decent rebranding.
Growing Globally: The 2012 Blake Dawson Merger
Ashurst The latter continued to develop 2003.
In 2012, The company expanded significantly. The Asia-Pacific region Combined with Blake Dawson, A long standing and highly respected one Australian law firm tracing its roots Back to 1841 I Melbourne.
This integration gave Ashurst a serious step over Australia, with major offices in Sydney, Melbourne, and Canberra, and strengthened its presence across Asia.
Notice the pattern here: the biggest law Companies rarely grow. Organic expansion alone.
They grow through. Strategic combinations with bringing companies complementary strengths. Appear on Blake Dawson deep Australian market knowledge. Ashurst brought an existing international network in finance, energy, and infrastructure work.
The Big One: Ashurst and Perkins teamed up. 2026
Now for the latest, and most dramatic, chapter of this story, One that is still fresh. This year.
In November 2025, Announced plans to merge with Ashurst Perkins Coie, one major Seattle was founded US Fixed with deep roots and in technology intellectual property work dating back To 1912.
Partners from both firms voted overwhelmingly. Favor of the deal I April 2026.
The merger is officially complete. The end of June 2026, To form a new joint venture: Ashurst Perkins Coie.
The numbers to tell the scale of this deal Absolutely:
- Top 20 Global Law Firms by Revenue
- 950+ partners worldwide
- ~3,500 fee earners Combined all over fixed
- 52 offices
- It’s almost spread out 20 countries and regions
- ~$2.8 billion I combined annual revenue
- Major hubs I Seattle, London, Sydney, And New York
- Under the leadership of co-CEOs Paul Jenkins (Ex Ashurst’s global chief executive) and Bill Malley (Ex Perkins Coie’s managing partner)
- Karen Davies and Brian Eiting serve Seam global co-chairs
What kills me most is the symmetry.
Where we started. A company established in a single London office I 1822, Known for over a century Sean Ashurst Morris Crisp, You have transformed part of the real thing global legal powerhouse spread out five continents.
He is two centuries stable, deliberate reinvention, A small neighborhood store that is growing. A multinational chain, Minus any drop in craftsmanship with the way.
Is Ashurst Perkins Coie the Same Company Seam Ashurst Morris Crisp?
This is the exact question Who sent me to seek. The first place, And maybe that’s why you’re here too.
Yes, Ashurst Perkins Coie traces its lineage directly back to the established firm that Ashurst Morris Crisp I 1822.
The unit has changed form through mergers and rebrands, but legal and historical continuity remains.
If you go. A conflict check, Confirms an old contract, Or just satisfactory? your own curiosity, You can heal “Ashurst Morris Crisp” Seam the historical predecessor Of today’s Ashurst Perkins Coie.
Ashurst Morris Crisp Timeline: Quick Recap
| Year | Milestone |
| 1822 | William Henry Ashurst I found the company London |
| 1860s–1877 | John Morris and Sir Frank Crisp Join as partners, to deliver the firm its long-running name |
| 2003 | The firm drops “Morris Crisp” and as re-brands internationally Ashurst |
| 2012 | Ashurst Connects with Australian firm Blake Dawson, Extension to Australia and Asia |
| 2025–2026 | Ashurst declares and completes. A merger with US Solid Perkins Coie, formation Ashurst Perkins Coie |
FAQs:
Q. When did Ashurst Morris Crisp pursue to change the name?
The company collapsed. “Morris Crisp” And rebranded. Ashurst I 2003 As part of an international branding push.
Q. What does the firm do today?
Sean Ashurst Perkins Coie, The firm handles company law, mergers and acquisitions, Banking and Finance, Litigation and regulatory work.
It holds particular strength in technology, Energy and infrastructure, and financial services.
Q. Where is Ashurst Perkins Coie Headquarters
The combined firm operates through major hubs I Seattle, London, Sydney, And New York, With offices in approximately 20 countries and regions.
Q. Is Ashurst Morris Crisp still running a law firm under that name?
No The name Has not been used since. 2003 The rebrand, although the company behind it, continues to operate. Today Sean Ashurst Perkins Coie.
The Key Taking:
To chase this answer taught me something I didn’t expect: institutional history rarely disappears, it just reconnects.
That old signature block I didn’t secure was a dead end. Of course it was a doorway into a two-hundred-year story of a small London practice who kept reinventing themselves to stay relevant, until now a headline-making a transatlantic merger This year.
If you came here to try to construct sense. An old document Sealed with “Ashurst Morris Crisp,” Take it easy: the firm behind that name Alive and well, just worn out. A new name tag.
Additional Resources:
- Ashurst Perkins Coie , Official Merger Announcement: the firm’s own account of the 2026 combination, including leadership and structure details.
- The Global Legal Post , Ashurst, Perkins Coie Complete $2.8bn Transatlantic Merger: independent legal-industry reporting on the completed merger.