<P> Law firm mergers tend to be assortative, in that only law firms operating in similar legal systems are likely to merge . For example, U.S. firms will often merge with English law firms, or law firms from other common law jurisdictions . A notable exception is King & Wood Mallesons, a multinational law firm that is the result of a merger between an Australian law firm and a Chinese law firm . </P> <P> Though mergers are more common among better economies, slowing down a bit during recessions, big firms sometimes use mergers as a strategy to boost revenue during a recession . Nevertheless, data from Altman Weil indicates that only four firms merged in the first half of 2013, as compared to eight in the same period in 2012, and this was taken by them as indicating a dip in morale regarding the legal economy and the amount of demand . </P> <P> Law firms can vary widely in size . The smallest law firms are lawyers practicing alone, who form the vast majority of lawyers in nearly all countries . </P> <P> Smaller firms tend to focus on particular specialties of the law (e.g. patent law, labor law, tax law, criminal defense, personal injury); larger firms may be composed of several specialized practice groups, allowing the firm to diversify their client base and market, and to offer a variety of services to their clients . </P>

A law firm is an example of this type of business