Dentons’ first-year success results from polycentric, client-centered priority in new firm

Dentons, Kyiv, Ukraine,  April 2, 2014

Published by U.S.-Ukraine Business Council (USUBC),
Washington, D.C., April 23, 2014

Combination drives new client opportunities, talent andrecognition worldwide

2 April 2014—On the occasion of the first anniversary of its founding, leaders ofthe global law firm Dentons say its polycentric approach, strategic growth andclient-centered focus has made the firm’s first year a success. Dentons waslaunched March 31, 2013, through the combination of international law firmSalans, Canada’s Fraser Milner Casgrain (FMC) and international law firm SNRDenton.

“When we agreed toform Dentons just one year ago, the partners of our legacy firms were committedto challenging the most elite law firms in the world with a polycentricapproach and by providing extensive industry knowledge, exceptional legalcounsel and detailed familiarity with local laws and regulations wherever ourclients needed them,” says Global Chair Joe Andrew. “Our clients tell us theyparticularly value our ability to connect them to top tier legal talent, fromdifferent regions, culture and legal traditions.”

“We always knew themeasure of success for the Dentons combination would come down to the answersto three questions,” says Global CEO Elliott Portnoy. “Are we winning new workand new clients that would not have come to our legacy firms but for ourcombined platform? Are we meeting the needs of current clients and growingbusiness with them? And are we retaining and attracting legal talent throughoutthe globe to better serve clients? For Dentons, the answer to each of thesequestions is an unequivocal 'yes.'”

Winning cross-region work: Proof that Dentons is winning work thatits legacy firms would not have secured on their own is evident in many forms:

·        Sincethe plans to form Dentons were announced in the summer of 2012, Dentons hasopened more than 2500 matters served by two or more of its regions, involvingvirtually every one of its offices throughout Africa, Central and East Asia,Canada, Europe, the Middle East, the UK and the US.

·        Nearlythree quarters of the firm’s approximately 2600 lawyers and professionals havebeen engaged in these cross-region matters.

·        Thefirm has secured global panel appointments representing leading globalmanufacturing companies, financial institutions and energy concerns.

Expanding client offerings: During its first year, Dentons added toits offerings to clients in more than 50 countries and 75 locations by:

·        Openinga new office in Astana, Kazakhstan.

·        Openinga new office in Houston, Texas, USA.

·        CreatingWirthlin, a Dentons Innovation Group Partnership in conjunction WirthlinWorldwide, to advise clients on global market strategy, internationalpartnerships and venturing and crisis management, in June 2013.

Attracting top-tier talent: The firm’s global platform has alsoserved as a magnet for talent, enabling the firm to offer clients even moreexpertise. Since its launch in March 2013, the firm has:

·        Attractedmore than 100 lawyers and professionals from other firms, including 46 lawyersfrom Canadian firm Heenan Blaikie who joined the ranks of Dentons Canada inMarch, 2014.

·        Enhancedalready strong practices such as Arbitration, Banking and Finance, CapitalMarkets, Corporate, Energy, Health and Life Sciences, Intellectual Property,Private Equity, Public Policy and Regulation, Real Estate and Trade.

·        Increasedits quality rankings to a total of 412 lawyers and 195 practices rated byChambers and 80 Dentons Canada lawyers in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory.

Winning recognition: In the past year, Dentons’ global reachand expanded services have earned the firm recognition from clients and legalservices observers for the quality of its work and its contributions to thecommunities that it serves. Recent accolades include:

Rated a top 20 legal brand by the Acritas Global Brand Elite Index surveyof senior general counsel in multinational companies with revenues of more than$1 billion.

·        “Go-tofirm for the Fortune 500”—CorporateCounsel

·        “Bestlaw firm in insurance”—US News &World Report

·        “Lawfirm of the year, France”—The Lawyer

·        “Lawfirm of the year, Central Europe”—TheLawyer

·        “Lawfirm of the year”—CEE Retail Real EstateAwards

·        “Mostdynamic energy practice”—Energy Daily

·        Top10 law firm for private equity and venture capital transactions—Dow Jones PE Analyst

·        “BestPan-African law firm, Capital Markets and Corporate”—emea-finance

·        CorporateEquality Index, perfect score—The HumanRights Campaign Foundation

·        GoldStandard Certified—The Women in Law EmpowermentForum

·        “Bestcontribution by a law firm”—LawWorks ProBono Awards

“The legal world has been undergoing tumultuous changes since the economiccrisis in 2008,” says Andrew. “Dentons was formed as a response to thesedynamics and the success we have achieved for our clients in the past yeardemonstrates we are on the right path.”

AboutDentons

Dentonsis a global firm driven to provide a competitive edge in an increasinglycomplex and interconnected marketplace. It was formed in March 2013 by thecombination of international law firm Salans LLP, Canadian law firm FraserMilner Casgrain LLP (FMC) and international law firm SNR Denton. Dentonsis built on the solid foundations of these three highly valued law firms. Eachbuilt an outstanding reputation and valued clientele by responding to thelocal, regional and national needs of a broad spectrum of clients of all sizes– individuals; entrepreneurs; small businesses and start-ups; local, regionaland national governments and government agencies; and mid-sized and largerprivate and public corporations, including international and global entities.

Dentons' clients now benefit fromapproximately 2,600 lawyers and professionals in more than 75 locationsspanning 50-plus countries across Africa, Asia Pacific, Canada, Central Asia,Europe, the Middle East, Russia and the CIS, the UK and the US who arecommitted to challenge the status quo and offer creative, dynamic business andlegal solutions.

Salans FMC SNRDenton Europe LLP, also known as Dentons Europe, operates from 17 offices in 14countries.

Salans FMC SNR DentonEurope LLP is a Limited Liability Partnership registered in England and Waleswith Registration Number OC 316822. See www.dentons.com for legal notices.