Dentons to combine with seven firms in Africa, the Caribbean and South East Asia

Dentons, the world’s largest law firm, has announced combinations with seven other law firms.

It will combine with Hamilton, Harrison & Mathews in Kenya; Mardemootoo Solicitors and Balgobin Chambers in Mauritius; Dinner Martin in the Cayman Islands and Delany Law in the Eastern Caribbean, Hanafiah Ponggawa & Partners (HPRP) in Indonesia; and Zain & Co. in Malaysia.

The combinations in Kenya and Mauritius follow in the wake of last year’s combination in neighboring Uganda with Kampala Associated Advocates. Dentons traces its presence in Africa to the establishment of a Cairo, Egypt, office in 1964. It also has offices in Casablanca, Morocco, and Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa, as well as Uganda. These combinations will further allow Dentons to pursue its Africa strategy to become a pan-African law firm that reaches more of Africa than its competitors.

The combinations in Barbados, the Cayman Islands and other islands in the Caribbean are forged in the wake of rapid expansion in Latin America, with a strategic alliance launched last year with Brazil’s Vella Pugliese Buosi Guidoni as well as a combination with Gallo Barrios Pickmann in Peru. They also follow the earlier launch of Dentons Muñoz in Central America, and of Dentons López Velarde in Mexico and Dentons Cardenas & Cardenas in Colombia. These moves are part of Dentons’ long-term strategy to build the firm’s presence in Latin America and the Caribbean.

“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.

“Our new offices in Mauritius and Kenya complement our growing pan-African presence, coming on the heels of our expansion in neighbouring Uganda just last year. And our expansion in Indonesia and Malaysia builds on our presence in Singapore and Myanmar in the dynamic South East Asia region.”

The seven combinations, following approval by partners and subject to meeting regulatory requirements in each jurisdiction, are expected to launch later in 2018.