Reed Smith and Thompson & Knight are in merger talks, according to sources Am Law Daily has spoken to over the last couple of days. Jeffrey Zlotky, managing partner at Thompson & Knight, confirmed Friday morning that the two firms are in what he describes as “preliminary” discussions over a potential combination. A source familiar with both firms has described the talks as “serious,” but Zlotky says they have not yet gotten to the stage at which he would take the proposed deal to the full Thompson & Knight partnership.

SJ Berwin managing partner Ralph Cohen has announced his intention to step down from his role as the firm reaches the advanced stages of merger talks with Proskauer Rose.

Townsend spokesman Brian Colucci has confirmed that the firm’s merger talks with Kilpatrick Stockton have ended. Townsend veteran partner Paul Vapnek heard late last week from another partner that the talks were off, he said, because of irreconcilable conflicts with a major Kilpatrick client

Simmons & Simmons has informed its partners that it is discussing a merger with Mayer Brown. Senior partner David Dickinson confirmed the talks Thursday night in an e-mail to the partnership, saying the two firms are in “preliminary discussions” about a merger.

Less than a month after merger talks reportedly were heating up between UAL’s United Airlines and US Airways, the two went their separate ways. Now it’s a UAL/Continental merger that seems to be on the horizon. The expected tie-up, which would reportedly create the world’s largest carrier by passenger traffic, has Cravath on board with UAL, and Continental turning to Jones Day, Vinson & Elkins and Freshfields for legal counsel.