Dentons' Firm profile submitted by Dentons Canada LLP

     Canada Chief Executive Officer: Beth Wilson, FCPA, FCA 

     Global Chief Executive Officer: Elliott Portnoy 
     Global Chairman: Joe Andrew 
     Number of partners: 253 (Canada) 2587 (Worldwide)

     Dentons is the world's largest law firm, delivering quality and value to clients around the globe. Dentons is a leader on the Acritas Global Elite Brand Index, a BTI Client Service 30 Award winner and recognised by prominent business and legal publications for its innovations in client service, including founding Nextlaw Labs and the Nextlaw Global Referral Network. Dentons' polycentric approach and world-class talent challenge the status quo to advance client interests in the communities in which we live and work. 
     As part of the renowned global team, Dentons has an established history in six of Canada’s key economic centers—Calgary, Edmonton, Montréal, Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver. With roots reaching as far back as 1839 in Canada, the firm is truly 'in and of the community,' providing clients with legal services in common and civil law. 
     With more than 500 lawyers and professionals across the firm's Canadian offices, Dentons provides clients with on-the-ground legal experience across many industries, private and public business, in key sectors of the Canadian economy. 
     Dentons is well-positioned to support the success of the firm's clients and the vast array of international players that are investing and developing their presence in the Canadian economy. To complement the firm's legal services, Dentons is committed to creating and nurturing an environment of diversity and inclusion where the diversity of its workforce contributes to the enrichment of the firm, its professional practice and its community. Dentons strives to provide the firm's clients with the highest standards of representation and service provided by a diverse team of experienced people. As a testament to the firm's continued dedication, Dentons is proud to be named one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers (2011-2017) and one of Canada’s Top LGBT-Inclusive Employers (2015).

     About Dentons   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dentons

     Dentons was founded in March 2013 by the merger of SNR Denton, Fraser Milner Casgrain and Salans. Following its merger with Chinese law firm Dacheng in November 2015, Dentons became the largest law firm in the world by number of lawyers and has the most offices of any law firm in the world, covering every continent.

     Dentons is a decentralised multinational law firm ranked by Acritas as one of the world's top 20 Global Elite law firms. It is the 8th-largest law firm in the world by revenue and the world's largest law firm by number of lawyers. The firm is called Dentons in all languages other than Chinese, in which it is called 大成 (Dacheng).

     As of 2018, Dentons operates in over 50 countries, has over 150 offices, and employs approximately 7,700 lawyers. The firm is polycentric and therefore has no headquarters, although the firm's senior leadership are primarily based in Beijing, London and Washington D.C.

     Dentons is structured as a Swiss Verein calledSalans FMC SNR Denton Group, which does not itself provide legal services. The verein encapsulates multiple co-operating legal entities, namely Dentons Canada LLP, Dentons Europe LLP, Dentons UK and Middle East LLP, Dentons US LLP, amongst others. Contents

     History   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dentons

     On 11 November 2012, SNR Denton, Salans and the Canada-based Fraser Milner Casgrain announced a three-way merger, forming a new law firm structured as a Swiss Verein and named Dentons. The partners of the three firms ratified the merger on 28 November 2012, and it was completed on 28 March 2013. Dentons opened an office in Houston, Texas in September 2013.

     On January 26, 2015, Dentons announced that it was combining with a Chinese firm, Dacheng (Chinese:大成) which was completed in November 2015. The new firm is called 大成 in Chinese, and is called Dentons in other languages. The logo features the Chinese characters for Dacheng globally, with the lettering 大成 Dentons. Following the Dacheng combination, Dentons surpassed Baker & McKenzieand DLA Piper, the world’s previous top law firms by headcount, by at least 2,500 lawyers.

     2015 saw several other major regional expansions for the firm. In April, Dentons US agreed to a merger with Atlanta-based law firm McKenna Long & Aldridge which was completed in June of that year.[17] The firm also opened new offices in Hungary, Luxembourg, Singapore and South Africa during 2015 and announced combinations with firms in Australia, Colombia, and Mexico.[18] The firm also launched Nextlaw Labs, a business accelerator focused on investing in, developing and deploying new technologies to transform the practice of law, in May 2015. Dentons also announced in November 2016 that it would become the first global law firm with a footprint in Central America by combining with Muñoz Global, adding offices in Panama, Nicaragua and Costa Rica.

     In December 2016, Dentons launched in Australia and Papua New Guinea by combining with leading Australian law firm Gadens. The Sydney, Perth and Port Moresby offices of Gadens joined Dentons, while the Adelaide and Brisbane offices became "associate offices" and the Melbourne office remained independent. The Gadens combination resulted in Dentons having approximately 7,600 lawyers serving 57 countries.

     In 2017, Costa Rican law firm Muñoz Global combined with Dentons and, thus, Dentons Muñoz was created. Dentons Muñoz is the Costa Rican -and Central American- chapter of Dentons. Dentons Muñoz currently has offices in Costa Rica (cities of San José and Liberia), Panamá (Panama City), and Guatemala (Guatemala City).  In 2017 the firm formed a strategic alliance with opposition research firm Definers Public Affairs, dubbed 3D Global Affairs. As of April 12th of 2018, Denton announced seven new partnerships in Kenya, Mauritius, Caribbean, Indonesia and Malaysia.

     Dentons' main practice areas include:  

     https://www.chambersandpartners.com/global-practice-area-definitions

1.. Antitrust and Competition  2.. Corporate               3.. Bankruptcy, Insolvency 

4.. Restructuring                   5.. Capital Markets        6.. Banking and Finance  

7.. Employment, Benefits and Pensions  8.. Energy, Environment and Natural Resources

9.. Intellectual Property        10.. Government           11.. International Arbitration

12.. International Trade        13.  Litigation               14.. Life Sciences and Health Care

15.. Privacy                         16.. Private Equity         17.. Mergers and Acquisitions 

18.. Real Estate                   19.. Securities               20.. Public Policy and Regulation

21.. Venture Capital             22.. Taxation   23..Trusts, Estates and Wealth Management 

Offices

Dentons is a polycentric firm covering North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific, China, and Africa.

Fraser Milner Casgrain - Wikipedia Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP (FMC) was one of Canada’s leading business, litigation and tax law firms. With more than 560 lawyers (175 litigators) it is the sixth largest law firm in Canada as well as the largest law firm in Western Canada.[1] FMC is a fully integrated national partnership with offices inMontreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary, and Vancouver. On November 8, 2012, it was announced that FMC would combine with international law firms SNR Denton and Salans to form the 7th largest law firm in the world, by number of lawyers and professionals.

SNR Denton - Wikipedia was a multinational law firm co-headquartered in London and Washington, D.C.. The firm operated in 60 locations across 43 countries and had around 1,250 lawyers.[3][6] It wasone of the 25-largest law firms in the world, with revenues of around $750 million in 2011/12.

Salans - Wikipedia Salans LLP was an international commercial law firm. It was founded in 1978 in Paris as Salans Hertzfeld & Heilbronn and in March 2013 merged with the Anglo-American law firm SNR Denton and the Canada-based law firm Fraser Milner Casgrain, forming Dentons. At the time of its merger with SNR Denton and Fraser Milner Casgrain, Salans had around 750 lawyers and over 1,500 staff operating from 20 offices across 17 countries. Salans’ clients included multinational corporations, commercial investment and regional banks, insurance companies, investment funds, international organisations, public entities and sovereign states. The firm was decentralised and had no headquarters.

    Global Chairman of Dentons 

    Joseph (Joe) Andrew

                    https://www.dentons.com/en/joe-andrew

     Joe Andrew is the Global Chairman of Dentons, the largest law firm in the world with 158 offices in 66 countries. An accomplished and highly regarded corporate lawyer, Joe may be best known for his role as chairman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) in the US from 1999 to 2001.

     As Global Chairman of Dentons, Joe is the architect of Dentons' global strategy. He represents Dentons with clients around the world, key strategic partners, business and government leaders and other external groups. Central to Joe’s work has been his vision for the law firm of the future, which includes Dentons' growth, integration and reinvention.

     For nearly 30 years, Joe has practiced corporate law, focusing on mergers and acquisitions of regulated companies. In addition, because he served as chair of the DNC, Joe is well suited to his role as an advisor to companies and organizations on the policy issues associated with large-scale transactions. He has represented many Fortune 1000 companies in negotiating acquisitions, spinoffs, financings and corporate governance disputes, and in structuring capital market products and organizations to meet their needs.

     Best known as a negotiator, Joe has led teams that have negotiated major contracts, merged or acquired companies, formed joint ventures and founded new companies. Since joining Dentons in 2004, he has been involved in negotiating deals worth in excess of US$500 billion, including numerous Fortune 500 mergers in the health care and insurance areas.

     Joe has counseled companies worldwide on their corporate and policy strategies in a variety of industries, ranging from technology companies to regulated companies in the insurance, energy, life sciences, banking and telecommunications fields, to foreign acquirers and heads of state. He also advises corporations on issues arising from Capitol Hill, the White House and administrative agencies, and on policy matters in the 50 states.

     Joe has worked on many “front page” deals over the past two decades and has assisted in the planning and implementation of corporate social responsibility programs while counseling companies in times of crisis.

     Joe is an entrepreneur, a published author, a frequent speaker on political and demographic trends, a board member of several nonprofit organizations and a member of various progressive policy organizations. He is the founder of a socially responsible mutual fund, a biotech consulting firm, a cleantech company and numerous nonprofit organizations. In addition to his corporate legal background, he is a leader in corporate social responsibility, socially conscious investing, historic preservation, smart growth and urban planning. He frequently speaks on those issues, as well as election law reform.

     His spy novel, The Disciples, was published by Simon and Schuster, as was his most recent book on progressive investing and economic trends, The Blue Way.

     Joe is a graduate of Wayne High School in Fort Wayne, Indiana; Yale University, where he was a Scholar of the House; and Yale Law School. He clerked on the US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

     Joe is married to former US Ambassador Anne Slaughter Andrew.

     Insights

     Co-author, "Climate Change Newsletter," Dentons Newsletter, December 11, 2015

    Activities and Affiliations

     Prior and Present Employment

     In January 1999, while Joe was serving as the Indiana state Democratic chair, President Bill Clinton, Vice President Al Gore and the Democratic leadership in the US Congress asked Joe to chair the DNC. He was elected in February 1999 and served until February 2001. Joe was one of the youngest national chairs in the nearly 200-year history of the DNC and is widely recognized as one of the most successful. He brought the party out of debt, raised nearly a quarter-billion dollars, hired and managed the most diverse staff in the history of the party and successfully served as CEO of an organization with thousands of employees on Election Day.

    Global Chief Executive Officer

     Elliott I. Portnoy

     Elliott Portnoy is the Global Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Dentons, the largest law firm in the world.

     As Global CEO, Elliott is responsible for management of the global Firm and its unwavering commitment to integrated client service across 158 offices in 66 countries. Under Elliott’s leadership, Dentons is experiencing a period of exceptional growth and success.

     Prior to the formation of Dentons, Elliott served as the youngest chairman of Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal, which later became SNR Denton, one of the legacy firms that combined to create Dentons. He joined Sonnenschein in 2002, founding its public policy practice and building a bipartisan cadre of lawyers and policy professionals into a team that Legal Times’ "Influence 50" survey called one of Washington, DC’s "top 10 lobbying practices." Roll Call ranked the practice as one of the top 25 in the US, and Chambers USA designated it one of the firm's outstanding practices.

     Community service has been a constant in Elliott’s life. In addition to serving on the boards of several nonprofit organizations, he founded and remains president of the board of Kids Enjoy Exercise Now (KEEN), an innovative nonprofit that provides sports opportunities to children with severe and profound disabilities in the US and the UK. KEEN serves children in Washington, Chicago, London, Los Angeles, New York, Oxford, Phoenix, San Francisco and St. Louis. The organization has trained more than 40,000 volunteers to serve young people with disabilities.

     That same commitment to social responsibility is reflected in Dentons' support of nonprofit organizations and its partnerships with clients to improve local communities. Elliott promotes pro bono legal work and diversity as vital components of the Firm’s mission and has been a vocal advocate of Dentons' relationships with nonprofit organizations around the world.

     Elliott earned his PhD as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University and is a graduate of Harvard Law School and Syracuse University.

     Recognition

     Elliott has been recognized as a prominent public policy lawyer by multiple publications and organizations, including successive editions ofChambers USA, most recently as a "Top Washington Lawyer." He has also been called "inspiring" and a "dynamic and ambitious go-getter" by the Washington Business Journal, and cited as one of the top lobbyists in the nation by Washingtonian magazine. In addition, he has received multiple awards from nonprofit organizations for his community service and pro bono contributions.

     As part of the renowned global team, Dentons has an established history in all six of Canada's key economic centers— Calgary, Edmonton, Montréal, Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver.

     With roots reaching as far back as 1839 in Canada, we are truly “in and of the community,” providing our clients with our leading and seamless legal services in common and civil law, in English and French.

     To complement our legal services, Dentons is committed to creating and nurturing an environment of diversity and inclusion where the diversity of our workforce contributes to the enrichment of our firm, our professional practice and our community.

     We strive to provide our clients with the highest standards of representation and service provided by a diverse team of experienced people. As a testament to our continued dedication, Dentons is proud to be named one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers (2011-2017) and one of Canada’s Top LGBT-Inclusive Employers (2015).

     Dentons is proud to act for of a wide variety of clients in Canada, ranging from startups to industry icons in both the public and private realms, and is positioned to support the success of our domestic Canadian clients and the vast array of international players that are investing and developing their presence in the Canadian economy.

     More than 500 lawyers and professionals across our Canadian offices provide clients with on-the-ground legal talent and leading experience across many industries, including key sectors of the Canadian 

   Key contacts 

     Dentons, the world’s largest law firm, announced today that Beth Wilson, former KPMG Greater Toronto Area Managing Partner, has been selected as its Canada CEO effective July 1, 2017, and will become a member of the Dentons Global Management Committee and Global Board. Chris Pinnington, current Canada CEO and Chair, who earlier announced his intention to step down as part of a planned succession after almost eight years in the CEO role, will continue to serve as Chair of Dentons Canada.

     A respected senior strategic business leader, Beth joins the Firm with extensive professional services experience, most recently leading KPMG Canada’s largest business unit. Beth served many years as a member of KPMG's Management Committee, in various leadership positions including Canadian Managing Partner Community Leadership, Canadian Managing Partner Regions & Enterprise with responsibility for 24 regional offices across Canada, and Chief Human Resources Officer. She also held leadership roles globally. Beth is widely known and respected in the Canadian business community and is an accomplished and dedicated community leader, having been recognized by leading organizations including YWCA Toronto, Canadian Women of Influence and WXN.

     “Beth’s appointment as CEO is clearly a bold and innovative move in the legal profession – one which we are confident will resonate with our clients. It is a reflection of our clients’ increasing view that their legal advisors should be more than just a traditional law firm, and should offer broader perspectives, insights and understanding of their business and industry. This move will further engage our people and underscore to the legal and business community that Dentons truly is a leader in the profession,” said Richard Scott, Chair of the Canada Board.    “Beth's demonstrated leadership skills and experience in a large global professional services firm make her eminently qualified for this role.”

     “I am humbled and excited to be given the opportunity to lead Dentons in Canada, and join the Global Management Committee and Board of one of the most forward thinking and progressive law firms in the world," said Beth Wilson, the incoming Canada CEO of Dentons.

     “I was drawn to the Dentons brand, culture and values. The Firm is recognized in Canada and globally for its innovation, focus on delivering value and results to clients, and commitment to an inclusive culture that empowers diverse teams and supports entrepreneurial spirit. I am proud to take the lead as we drive forward our strategy – building the law firm of the future now, inspiring our great people, attracting new, innovative talent from multiple sectors, and delivering on the differentiated service excellence our clients require.”

     “We are delighted to welcome Beth to Dentons. Our clients in Canada and around the world will benefit from her strategic advice and insights,” said Elliott Portnoy, Dentons Global CEO. "The auditing and consulting professions, similar to our legal profession, are undergoing significant disruption and transformation. Beth's extensive experience and leadership will play an important role in shaping how Dentons responds to this disruption. We owe a great debt of gratitude to Chris Pinnington, not just for his outstanding leadership in Canada, but for the immense contribution he has made to the growth of our Firm globally."

     Global Chairman Joe Andrew said, "Dentons' polycentric approach and world-class talent challenges the status quo to advance client interests in the communities in which we live and work. Beth exemplifies this through her board and community involvement, and her advancement of women in business – this is truly a very exciting appointment for Dentons and the legal industry.”

     *************

    As Dentons' Canada Chief Executive Officer and a member of the global leadership team, serving on the Global Board and Global Management Committee, Beth is leading the Firm in Canada through an aggressive and targeted focus on exceeding our clients' expectations of value and results, and commitment to an inclusive culture that empowers diverse teams and supports an entrepreneurial spirit and performance based culture. A respected senior strategic business leader, Beth is focused on ensuring that Dentons continues to be a workplace of choice for leading talent in Canada and around the world.

     Prior to assuming her role as the Firm’s Canada CEO, Beth served as Managing Partner at KPMG in the Greater Toronto Area, where she led the largest business unit in Canada. Beth served as a member of KPMG's Management Committee in various leadership positions, including Canadian Managing Partner Community Leadership, Canadian Managing Partner Regions and Enterprise with responsibility for 24 regional offices across Canada, and Chief Human Resources Officer. She also held various global leadership roles.

     Beth is widely known and respected in the Canadian business community and is an accomplished and dedicated community leader. She exemplifies this through her board and community involvement, and her advancement of women in business, and has been recognized by leading organizations such as YWCA Toronto, Canadian Women of Influence and WXN.

     The auditing and consulting professions, similar to the legal profession, are undergoing significant disruption and transformation. Beth's extensive experience and leadership is playing an important role in shaping how Dentons responds to this disruption.     

Beth Wilson, Toronto Managing Partner and Canadian Managing Partner, Community Leadership, KPMG

https://www.companiesandcausescanada.com/beth-wilson-toronto-managing-partner-and-canadian-managing-partner-community-leadership-kpmg/

Beth Wilson is the Toronto Managing Partner and Canadian Managing Partner, Community Leadership at KPMG. She oversees 2,500 employees at a leading professional services firm, and has transformed business culture with her drive and commitment to making a difference in our communities.

At KPMG, community leadership is about channeling KPMG people’s collective experience, skills and energy to drive positive social change and enable our communities to thrive.

Under Beth’s leadership, KPMG has entered into corporate partnerships with Free The Children and The Prince’s Canadian Responsible Business Network, and sponsors The Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer and Women’s College Hospital Foundation’s Women for Women’s luncheon. Beth also spearheaded KPMG’s Vital Impact, a case competition for community leadership in partnership with Toronto Foundation, which leverages employees’ skills to address social issues in the GTA.

Beth is five-time rider of the Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer and is an honourary vice-chair of the Ontario ride for the past two years. This year, she and her husband are riding all four rides across Canada, rounding out KPMG’s national achievement since 2010 of fielding over 1,100 riders and fundraising $3.8 million, and counting.

Beth was named one of the Top 25 Canadian Woman of Influence and has twice been named one of the Top 100 most Powerful Women in Canada. She has been conferred with the 2015 YWCA Women of Distinction Award in corporate leadership, and received the Margot Franssen Leadership Award by MicroSkills in 2013. Beth is a Director and past-Chair of the Toronto Region Board of Trade, Director, Trinity College School, and Trustee for the Ontario Science Centre. She was previously the vice-chair of the board of the National Ballet of Canada, a member of the GTA United Way Campaign Cabinet and co-chair of the Women Gaining Ground initiative. In addition she chairs the Education and Qualifications Committee of the CICA and is an active Young Presidents Organization (YPO) member.

Beth’s leadership-by-example is inspiring KPMG people to realize their full potential in the workplace while making a sustainable impact in their communities.

    KPMG is a professional service company and one of the Big Four auditors, along with Deloitte, Ernst & Young (EY), and Price water house Coopers (PwC). Seated in Amstelveen, the Netherlands, KPMG employs 189,000 people^[5] and has three lines of services: financial audit, tax, and advisory. Its tax and advisory services are further divided into various service groups.

   The name "KPMG" stands for "Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler." It was chosen when KMG (Klynveld Main Goerdeler) merged with Peat Marwick in 1987.

     Dentons to form strategic alliance with Brazil's Vella Pugliese Buosi Guidoni

     https://www.dentons.com/form-strategic-alliance-with-brazils-vella-pugliese

file:///I:/VPBG%20factsheet.pdf

     May 9, 2017, Dentons, the world’s largest law firm, and Brazil's Vella Pugliese Buosi Guidoni are proposing a strategic alliance, allowing both firms to uniquely position themselves to serve their clients in Brazil and around the globe. 

     About the proposed strategic alliance 

     The proposed alliance follows the launch last year of Dentons López Velarde in Mexico and Dentons Cardenas & Cardenas in Colombia, as well as Dentons Muñoz in Central America which launched earlier this year. With this step, Dentons is growing faster in Latin America with high quality talent in a way that no other law firm has ever done before.

     By the numbers

    · Brazil has the largest economy in Latin America, accounting for almost 50% of the region's economic output, and the ninth largest economy in the world.

     · Dentons' existing global clients would have direct access to Vella Pugliese Buosi Guidoni's 13 partners and 116 fee earners in offices in São Paulo and Brasília.

     · The proposed strategic alliance would give VPBG's clients access to the experience and talents of thousands of Dentons lawyers working in 62 countries on six continents.

     Benefits of the proposed alliance

     The alliance would enhance both firms' depth and reach in key business sectors and practice groups, including competition and antitrust, corporate/M&A, dispute resolution and litigation, labor, international trade, commodity finance, tax, public and administrative law, real estate and environmental law.

     Dentons to combine with two elite law firms in the Caribbean

     https://www.dentons.com/combine-with-two-elite-law-firms-in-the-caribbean 

     Dentons, the world's largest law firm, today announced its intention to combine with two elite law firms in the Caribbean to further its growth strategy in that dynamic region.

     Dentons will combine with Dinner Martin in the Cayman Islands and Delany Law in the Eastern Caribbean as part of its Latin America and Caribbean regional growth strategy.

     These combinations will give Dentons' clients access to the experience and talents of lawyers working in 73 countries. These combinations will uniquely position Dentons to provide high-quality legal services to clients around the world.

     Dentons has also announced today it is combining with two firms inMauritius, one in Kenya , and one each in Indonesia and Malaysia.

     "We are growing faster in Latin America and the Caribbean—and with truly high quality firms—in a way that no one has ever done before," said Elliott Portnoy, Global CEO of Dentons.

     Cayman Island's Dinner Martin founded in 2013 by David Dinner and Randall Martin. As part of Dentons, the firm intends to grow in the region. Dinner Martin is an active member of the Nextlaw Referral Network. It primarily handles on-shore matters such as litigation and employment, and has licenses required for Offshore Financial Center (OFC) work.