Chair Joe Andrew boasts: ‘Dentons has accomplished more for clients in one year than any other firm’
Dentons further cemented its status as the world’s largest law firm by lawyer headcount in November, with partners approving a three-way union with Australian firm Gadens and Singaporean practice Rodyk & Davidson.
In an attempt to better recognise ‘clients’ needs for seamless, integrated representation in today’s global economy’, the combination with Gadens would give Dentons Australian capability across a broad range of practice areas, including corporate, tax and disputes. The Singapore tie-up will further extend Dentons’ presence in South-East Asia with Rodyk & Davidson, which specialises in corporate, finance, intellectual property, disputes and real estate, and is the fourth-largest firm by headcount in the city state.
Gadens will provide offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Port Moresby, while Rodyk & Davidson gives added resource in Singapore and Shanghai.
The union takes the firm’s lawyer headcount to well over 7,000. Dentons’ first major act of consolidation this year was through a combination with Chinese giant Dacheng under a Swiss Verein structure in January, followed by a deal with US firm McKenna Long & Aldridge in April. It was well known the firm had been seeking further growth in the Asia Pacific region for some time, despite needing to bed down logistical and operational issues from its recent tie-ups.
In a statement, Dentons global chairman Joe Andrew claimed: ‘By any objective standard, Dentons has accomplished more for our clients in one year than any other firm in recent history and the year is not over yet.’
Dentons’ expansion this year reignites an ongoing debate, with the firm insisting it provides a compelling strategic position in Asia while detractors focus on the lack of top-tier coverage in the US and Europe, and the operational challenge of integrating western and Chinese law firms.
The firm has also widened its European network with a 50-strong team from the Budapest office of White & Case and launched an office in Milan, its first in Italy, with the hire of 21 lawyers, including three partners from DLA Piper.
sarah.downey@legalease.co.uk