For the Southeast, the new year could bring an increase in law firm mergers and an uptick in legal hiring activity in cities such as Atlanta, Charlotte and Nashville with relatively strong economies during the pandemic, according to two Major Lindsey & Africa legal recruiters.

“Activity will be steady, but I don’t expect 2021 to be a landmark year. People will try and be opportunistic [about hiring and mergers], but there won’t be dramatic change,” said DeVane Tidwell, a managing director focused on partner recruitment, who works from Atlanta and Charlotte.