Tom Froehle, chief executive partner for Baker & Daniels, and Andrew Humphrey, chair of Faegre & Benson’s management committee, held a joint news conference Oct. 12 to formally announce that the two firms will merge, effective Jan. 1, 2012. The new firm – Faegre Baker Daniels  – will have 770 attorneys and 45 consultants in the United States and abroad.

Humphrey will be the new firm’s managing partner, and Froehle will be chief operating partner.

“We quite intentionally view this combination as an opportunity to embrace a one-firm, cross-office approach,” Humphrey said. “We’ve intentionally decided that the combined firm will not have a headquarters location.”

Froehle said the firm had no plans to lay off lawyers or staff.

The consulting firm of Baker & Daniels will become FaegreBD Consulting, with offices in Washington, D.C. The new firm creates a strong presence across the Midwest, with offices in Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa and Colorado. The firm will also have offices in Shanghai, Beijing and London.

Baker & Daniels announced in August that it was in merger discussions with the Minneapolis-based firm.