Historic combination creates largest law firm in the World

At a signing ceremony, in an historic first, Dacheng (pronounced da CHUNG), a leading law firm in China, and Dentons, a top 10 global law firm, announced a combination that will be unique in the marketplace. The result will be the only firm to offer seamless service across Africa; Asia Pacific; Canada; Central Asia; Europe; the Middle East; Russia, CIS and the Caucasus; the United Kingdom (UK); the United States (US); and all 34 of China's regional administrative divisions.

The new firm will have more than 6,500 lawyers and professionals in 120 locations in more than 50 countries. It is the first combination of a leading Chinese firm and a top 10 global firm. The new firm will provide clients with more advantages, including:

A polycentric approach. With no one global headquarters and no dominant national culture, the firm will proudly offer clients talent from diverse backgrounds and countries, with deep experience across many geographies and every tradition of law.

Broader and deeper offerings around the globe. The combination of a polycentric, global firm with a leading Chinese firm will offer clients seamless service, global presence and local knowledge.

Reinvented client service. The new firm will reinvent client service, harnessing new technologies to enhance client support and deliver higher quality services while prioritizing client confidentiality and data security.

Brand

The new firm brand unites the names of both firms in an elegant logo, which symbolizes a combination of Eastern and Western cultures.

Further information about the new firm’s naming convention may be found www.dentonscombination.com.

Leadership and structure

The new firm will be led by:

Peng Xuefeng, the present Director and Founding Partner Dacheng, and Chairman of the standing committee of Dacheng大, will be the Chairman of the Global Board and the Chairman of the Global Advisory Committee of the new firm. 

Joe Andrew, currently the Global Chairman of Dentons, will be the Global Chairman of the new firm. 

Elliott Portnoy, currently the Global Chief Executive Officer of Dentons, will be the Global Chief Executive Officer of the new firm.

The new firm will have five regions—Asia, Canada, Europe, the UK and the Middle East (UKMEA), and the US—each led by a regional chief executive officer. A 19-member Global Board—comprised of 14 members from Dentons, and five from Dacheng大成— will include representation from each region, and a Global Advisory Committee will be comprised of all members of each region's board. The new firm would be structured as a Verein, a structure common among the world's top global law firms.