Dentons' Rise To The Top: How And When?

Dentons is a multinational law firm based in the United States that became the largest law firm in the world by attorney headcount in 2015. The firm was formed through the merging of three major law firms, followed by a merger with China's largest legal firm, Dacheng. Dentons has a vast global footprint, with offices on every continent and expertise in various legal fields. Its rapid growth and expansion began in 2010 and it has since continued to combine with other firms to maintain its position as the largest law firm in the world.

The merger with Dacheng

On 26 January 2015, Dentons announced its combination with Chinese firm Dacheng, which was completed in November 2015. The merger created the largest law firm in the world by the number of lawyers and offices. The new firm was called 大成 (Dacheng) in Chinese and "Dentons" in other languages, with a logo featuring the combined Chinese and English names: "大成 Dentons".

The merger brought together Dentons' 2,600 lawyers (with around 45 of them based in Asia) and Dacheng's 4,000 lawyers (almost all of them in China). As a result, the combined firm had over 6,500 lawyers in more than 50 countries, surpassing previous top law firms like Baker & McKenzie and DLA Piper by at least 2,500 lawyers.

The merger was led by Dentons' global chairman, Joseph Andrew, Dacheng's founding partner, Peng Xuefeng, and Dentons' global chief executive, Elliott Portnoy. The integration of the two firms was a complex task due to their distinct cultures, but the partnership was structured as a Swiss verein, allowing for separate profit pools. However, Joseph Andrew emphasised that the venture would be more integrated than most, with a unified compensation system.

The combination with Dacheng was particularly advantageous for Dentons due to China's growing economic influence and the increasing number of overseas deals made by Chinese companies. This presented a significant opportunity for legal services, and Dentons aimed to benefit from Dacheng's extensive network and relationships within China. By merging with Dacheng, Dentons established itself as a leading global law firm with an unparalleled reach and expertise in energy law, global real estate, and international government matters.

The creation of Dentons

Dentons, the largest law firm in the world by attorney headcount, was formed in March 2013 through the merging of three major law firms: SNR Denton, Fraser Milner Casgrain (a Canadian firm), and Salans. This megacombination created a new law firm that was immediately one of the world's largest, with locations in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, continental Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.

This ambitious vision for Dentons was driven by the understanding that in an increasingly complex, fast-moving, and fluid geopolitical environment, clients require real-time, multidisciplinary, platform-driven, data-backed solutions to business challenges. No single discipline has all the answers, and integrated solutions are more valuable than piecemeal ones.

Dentons' philosophy is grounded on the idea that clients gain a competitive advantage when their law firm combines local culture and community knowledge with global reach. This duality benefits clients by promoting successful deal completions, dispute resolutions, and business challenge solutions. It also frees the firm's lawyers from geographic constraints, enabling them to engage in global practices that better serve clients, the firm, and themselves.

Following its creation in 2013, Dentons continued its rapid expansion. In January 2015, Dentons announced a combination with Dacheng, China's largest legal firm. This unprecedented merger further solidified Dentons' position as the world's largest law firm, surpassing its closest competitors by at least 2,500 lawyers. With this merger, Dentons truly became a global giant, with offices on every continent and expertise in energy law, global real estate, and international government matters.

SNR Denton, Salans, and FMC

On November 8, 2012, three leading law firms, SNR Denton, Salans, and Fraser Milner Casgrain (FMC), announced their intention to merge and form a new global law firm, Dentons. The merger was approved by the partners of the three firms on November 28, 2012, and it was completed on March 28, 2013.

The combination of these firms created a top-ten international law firm, ranked as the seventh-largest in the world by the number of lawyers and professionals. The new firm had a unique position in the market, as it was not centred on the union of a UK and US firm, and it was the first combination involving a leading Canadian firm with a substantial US presence. Dentons also embraced diversity in geography, cultures, and legal traditions, with no headquarters or dominant national culture.

The merger brought together the strengths and expertise of the three firms across various regions, including Europe, Canada, the UK, the US, the Middle East, Central and East Asia, and Africa. This allowed Dentons to offer clients a competitive edge in the world's largest legal markets and respond to their demands for greater cross-border depth and modern, business-oriented approaches to complex legal challenges.

The new firm was structured as a Swiss Verein, led by a global board and leadership team, including Elliott Portnoy as Global Chief Executive Officer and Joe Andrew as Global Chair. The partners of each firm voted on the proposed combination, and it became effective in the first quarter of 2013.

Global presence and expansion

Dentons, a multinational law firm based in the United States, has become the largest law firm in the world by attorney headcount through a series of mergers and acquisitions, expanding its global presence and solidifying its position as a leader in the legal industry.

Dentons was established in March 2013 through the merger of three major law firms: SNR Denton, Fraser Milner Casgrain, and Salans. This megacombination created a new entity with a presence in multiple regions, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, continental Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. From its inception, Dentons had a global mindset and sought to provide legal services to clients around the globe.

The firm's expansion strategy was bold and ambitious. In 2015, Dentons made a groundbreaking move by merging with Dacheng, China's largest law firm. This unprecedented combination solidified Dentons' position as the largest law firm in the world and expanded its reach into the Asian market, specifically China. With this merger, Dentons surpassed its competitors in terms of attorney headcount and the number of offices worldwide.

Dentons continued its global expansion by opening new offices and merging with local firms in various countries. In 2015, they expanded their presence in Europe by establishing offices in Hungary, Luxembourg, and South Africa. They also announced combinations with firms in Australia, Colombia, and Mexico, further strengthening their presence in those regions. Additionally, Dentons entered the Central American market by combining with Muñoz Global, adding offices in Panama, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica.

The firm's expansion strategy was not limited to a specific region but took a global approach. In 2016, Dentons launched in Singapore by merging with Rodyk & Davidson, one of the most prestigious law firms in the country. They also expanded their presence in Australia and entered the Papua New Guinean market by combining with Gadens, a leading Australian law firm. This move solidified their presence in the Asia-Pacific region.

Dentons continued its global expansion by merging with various law firms worldwide. In 2017, they merged with Maclay Murray & Spens, a Scottish firm, further strengthening their presence in the United Kingdom. They also formed strategic alliances with other companies, such as their combination with Zaanouni Law Firm & Associates in Tunisia and LuatViet in Vietnam in 2022.

One of the key aspects of Dentons' global expansion strategy is their commitment to diversity and inclusion. They recognize the importance of a diverse workforce and the benefits it brings to the enterprise, workforce, and clients. Dentons has a polycentric model that celebrates diversity, discourages hierarchical segmentation, and promotes collaboration. This approach has been instrumental in their global growth and market recognition.

As of 2023, Dentons operated in over 80 countries, with more than 160 offices worldwide. The firm has a vast global footprint and continues to expand, solidifying its position as the largest law firm by attorney headcount and market presence. Their commitment to being the "firm of the future" drives their expansion strategy, and they constantly strive to provide legal solutions to business challenges locally and globally.

Leadership and structure

Dentons, the largest law firm in the world by attorney headcount, was formed in 2013 by the merger of three major law firms: Salans, Fraser Milner Casgrain (FMC), and SNR Denton. The firm has no headquarters, but its senior leadership is primarily based in London and Washington, D.C. Dentons is structured as a Swiss Verein, called the Dentons Group, which does not provide legal services directly. Instead, it encapsulates multiple cooperating legal entities, including Dentons Canada LLP, Dentons Europe LLP, and Dentons US LLP.

The leadership duo of Global Chairman Joe Andrew and Global CEO Elliott Portnoy, who held the same titles at the predecessor firm, charted a course to reimagine the scale, scope, and boundaries of a law firm. They challenged the profession's longstanding dogma that law is a vertical, bespoke service, and instead viewed it as a horizontal function that cuts across the enterprise, society, and geography. Legal expertise, in their view, is part of a wider problem-solving dynamic that requires integration with other disciplines, such as technology, finance, and data science.

Dentons' leadership has a clearly articulated purpose and mission: to meet the demands of clients by building a law firm that provides top legal talent and business solutions wherever it operates. They have pursued a growth strategy that identifies quantity as a tool for quality, believing that a larger firm with a deeper talent pool and broader geographic reach will be more likely to have the right resources for clients. This strategy has resulted in Dentons becoming a "firm of firsts", achieving milestones such as becoming the world's largest law firm in 2015, surpassing 10,000 lawyers by 2019, and forming the first global tech accelerator for the legal industry in 2015.

The firm operates with a polycentric model that celebrates diversity, discourages hierarchical segmentation, provides partners with greater autonomy, and promotes collaboration. This model has been successful, generating $1 billion in cross-regional revenue by 2020 and fostering a collaborative culture that can service clients "anywhere and everywhere."

Dentons' structure and leadership have been key to its rapid growth and market ascendancy. By reimagining legacy legal delivery paradigms and adopting a purpose statement focused on innovation, collaboration, and scale, the firm has created a unique, innovative and customer-centric culture.

Frequently asked questions