Two of Phoenix's most prominent law firms are joining forces. Fennemore and Gallagher & Kennedy announced Sept. 9 that they will combine into a single firm generating more than $300 million in revenue, operating under the Fennemore name starting Dec. 1, 2026.
The deal creates a firm with roughly 800 legal professionals nationwide and about 150 attorneys in Phoenix, according to ABC15 Arizona, which reports the combined firm will count 140 legal professionals in the Valley. Fennemore CEO James Goodnow and Gallagher & Kennedy Managing Partner Kevin O'Malley confirmed the finalized leadership structure and headcount projections, according to Business Wire.
Per the ABC15 report, research conducted by the Phoenix Business Journal ranking the two firms places the newly combined entity as the No. 2 largest operating law firm in Arizona. Snell & Wilmer remains the largest operating firm in the state.
Why Gallagher & Kennedy Said Yes
O'Malley said scaling up to remain competitive and gaining access to Fennemore's artificial intelligence platform were primary motivators for agreeing to the merger, as reported by the same account from The Global Legal Post. That platform centers on Project BlueWave AI and a proprietary enterprise assistant called DOT, which Fennemore deployed in late 2025 on OpenAI's enterprise platform to support information organization, summarization, drafting, and workflows, according to Business Wire.
The combination also expands Fennemore's practice capabilities by adding Gallagher & Kennedy's natural resources, environmental law, water rights, and sports law groups, while extending Fennemore's footprint into Santa Fe, New Mexico, per the same account from The Global Legal Post. Gallagher & Kennedy was established in Phoenix in 1978 by Mike Gallagher and Mike Kennedy, according to the firm's own website.
A Firm Rooted in Arizona's Territorial Past
Fennemore's own history runs deeper still. The firm says it has more than 140 years of history.
The Gallagher & Kennedy deal is not an isolated move. Fennemore executed several regional acquisitions across 2025 and 2026, including an August combination with MWSS+ in Boise, a December tie-up with Schmoyer Reinhard in San Antonio, and a merger with Denver-based Galvanize Law in October 2025, according to The Global Legal Post. That expansion has coincided with strong financial performance: per Fennemore's own August 2026 press release, the firm ranked among the top five fastest-growing law firms for revenue growth among all Am Law 200 firms in The American Lawyer's 2025 industry report, a distinction it has now achieved for the fourth time in five years.
Workplace Culture Behind the Growth Push
Fennemore has also pointed to its remote-flexible workplace framework, Fennemore Forward, as it pitches itself to merger partners, according to Business Wire.
With the Dec. 1 effective date still weeks away, questions remain about how the two firms' practice groups will integrate culturally under the single Fennemore brand and whether additional lateral moves or office consolidations will follow before the merger takes hold. For now, the announcement marks a significant reshaping of Phoenix's legal landscape, joining a 141-year-old institution with a Phoenix mainstay embedded in the city's civic and sports history.
