Dentons, the world’s largest law firm by number of lawyers employed, and Durham Jones & Pinegar, a firm of nearly 100 lawyers based in Salt Lake City, announced their combination on Monday.
The move marks the latest step in what Dentons is referring to as “Project Golden Spike”, a bid to form “a truly national law firm in the United States” while allowing member firms to retain their defining characteristics. It is also the largest combination between law firms to be announced since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Joe Andrew, global chairman of Dentons, hailed the move as an important part of the developing Project. “This combination with Durham Jones & Pinegar is a testament to our commitment to helping clients navigate this New Dynamic,” he said.
“As the largest law firm in the world, we are constantly finding new ways to support our clients, wherever they may be. As we have seen from our initial Project Golden Spike combinations of Dentons Bingham Greenebaum and Dentons Cohen & Grigsby with Dentons US, when we work together, we are better able to help all our clients meet the evolving challenges they may face.”
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In a statement, Dentons CEO Elliott Portnoy also commented on the usefulness of the combination in helping to connect Dentons with a growing market for its clients. “The Salt Lake City metropolitan area is a model for the New Dynamic economy: a community with a history of strong economic growth and stability that continues to foster a vibrant, diverse group of innovative businesses and initiatives,” he said.
Durham Jones & Pinegar is one of the largest firms in Utah, maintaining offices in Salt Lake City, Ogden, Lehi and St. George. They offer legal services related to business and financial law, banking, IP, estate planning, mergers and acquisitions, real estate, family law and various other fields.
“We are excited to be combining with Dentons, a widely respected law firm that, like us, clearly prioritises innovation and adaptability, especially during these extraordinary times,” said Todd Leishman, chairman and president of Durham Jones & Pinegar. “Our combination with Dentons will allow our clients to continue to be served by lawyers they know and trust, who can now connect them to colleagues across the country and around the world.”
