Pending Chinese regulatory approval, global law firm Dentons is set to partner with China’s Dacheng in order to create the world’s largest law firm in terms of headcount – one that employs 6,600 lawyers in 120 offices in more than 50 countries.
The new firm, which will overtake Baker & McKenzie, which is currently the largest as it employs almost 4,300 lawyers, will be branded Dacheng Dentons, though it will be known as Dentons outside of China and Dacheng inside China.
Due to Chinese law preventing a full merger between the domestic and international law firms, as well as the fact that foreign law firms and lawyers are forbidden from practising domestically in China, the two chose a Swiss verein structure. This enables them to keep their finances separate, while combining under a single brand, as well as adhering to this law. The collaboration is, therefore, a brand share rather than a profit share.
The first co-branding between a leading Chinese law firm and a large western firm took place in 2011 when China’s King & Wood joined with Australia’s Mallesons in order to create King & Wood Mallesons.
