Dentons has scaled up its Central American ambitions with plans to combine with regional firm Muñoz Global.
The combination, if approved by both partnerships, will give Dentons a presence in Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Panama in early 2017. The global firm will merge with 53-lawyer Muñoz Global, a firm newly-created by Arias & Muñoz founders José Antonio Muñoz and Pedro Muñoz, who have split away from their former firm which will contrive to operate as Arias in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.
Dentons’ proposed launch in the three Latin American states follows the firm’s mergers to create Dentons López Velarde in Mexico and Dentons Cardenas & Cardenas in Colombia earlier this year.
Dentons said the combination would allow both firms to enhance their capabilities in key practices, including banking and finance, corporate, dispute resolution and real estate.
The latest addition to Dentons’ global network will bring the firm to around 7,600 lawyers. Dentons has been largest in the world by headcount since its merger with Chinese giant Dacheng last year.
Global chair Joe Andrew (pictured) told Legal Business: ‘What we are focused on is finding talent around the world. Muñoz Global is the most prestigious firm in Central America and we want to demonstrate that the world’s largest law firm will be an elite provider of high-value work wherever we are able to develop a new relationship or office.’
‘We are focused on finding talent around the world. Muñoz Global is the most prestigious firm in Central America.’
Joe Andrew, Dentons
The only other Global 100 firm with a significant Central American presence is Littler Mendelson, which has offices in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Panama, Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala.
Having announced a total of seven tie-ups in 2015, Dentons has also made a play to enter Iran this year through an association with a local firm in September.
However, the firm is still in the process of completing some of its proposed tie-ups, such as its combination with Australian firm Gadens which is yet to be fully finalised.
Andrew added the firm continues to look for opportunities in South America, where it currently only has one office, in Colombia.
He said Dentons had spent a year talking to a number of law firms in the area, adding: ‘In 2017 we are optimistic we will continue expanding in the region.’
matthew.field@legalease.co.uk