Dentons mulls plans to extend secondment programme to China
Legal giant considers relocating partners from China to the Middle East initially, after its tie-up with Dacheng last year
June 10, 2016 at 12:29 AM
3 minute read
Dentons is looking to introduce a formal programme of secondments for lawyers at its China branch, formerly Dacheng, as a means to win more work for Chinese clients overseas.
The firm, which already has an inter-office secondment programme globally, is considering plans to second lawyers, including partners, from its China branch to the Middle East, initially for a period of at least one year.
It has already seconded partners from the US and Europe to the Middle East.
It is understood that the firm would send one or two partners from China to its Dubai office to begin with, primarily to assist with work in Africa.
The plans follow its merger with Chinese firm Dacheng in November last year to create a 6,600 lawyer firm, overtaking rival Baker & McKenzie to become the world's largest firm by lawyer count.
Dentons' Middle East managing partner Michael Kerr said: "We are considering a range of other initiatives including potential secondment of lawyers from our China region to the Middle East and, further on, even secondment of Dentons lawyers to China if the level of client need merits such steps."
He highlighted the Middle East as "a natural stepping stone for Chinese clients looking at African investment". He added: "While the combination with Dacheng is only recent, we have already seen significant examples of where our network is benefiting and we will continue to build on that."
The firm also set up a China taskforce last summer, it has emerged, dedicated to targeting new work wins from Chinese clients. It is headed up by London project partner Christopher McGee-Osborne and includes lawyers and support staff throughout the UK, Middle East and Africa.
The latest proposals for secondments come after a period of rapid expansion. In Asia-Pacific, it announced a three-way combination in November with Singapore firm Rodyk, which went live in April, and Australian firm Gadens. It also concluded a tie-up with Singapore firm Rodyk, forming Dentons Rodyk.
Elsewhere, Dentons completed its combination with US firm McKenna Long & Aldridge on 1 July last year.
More recently, it entered into merger agreements with Colombian law firm Cardenas & Cardenas and Mexican firm Lopez Velarde Heftye Y Soria in December 2015. The deals completed earlier this month.
As a result of so many tie-ups, Dentons' regional head of UK, Middle East and Africa Jeremy Cohen said mobility is "a big focus for the firm".
"We've come together with other firms and changed so much now. One of the things we are looking at is how we can facilitate lawyers moving around and making that part of the integration. This is already happening, with multiple lawyers having already been seconded around the globe, and China now is part of that thinking," he said.
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