July 19, 2021 – Dentons has launched its previously announced combination with leading Ecuadorian law firm, Paz Horowitz Abogados (“Paz Horowitz”) which has nine partners and 32 lawyers working from Quito and Guayaquil. In 2021, Acritas ranked Dentons the second best-known law firm in the world.

This combination is a result of Dentons’ focus on institutionalizing growth to scale the firm in priority markets. While some of the best companies in the world have made growth key to their success, Dentons is the first and only law firm to do so.

“We are thrilled to launch Dentons Paz Horowitz,” said Elliott Portnoy, Global CEO of Dentons. “Since first entering the Latin America & the Caribbean region in 2016, Dentons has been recognized as the fastest-growing law firm in the region. Dentons Paz Horowitz is renowned for its commitment to excellence. Together, we will be better positioned to serve our clients in Latin America & the Caribbean and around the world. ”

Ecuador’s recent election has brought renewed optimism and interest from domestic and international investors. As the government seeks to open its doors to world trade, Dentons Paz Horowitz is now the only global law firm capable of offering clients full-service legal counsel and business solutions in Ecuador – connecting the firm’s clients to top-tier legal talent in 28 countries throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, and 205 locations across 81 countries around the world.

“Our clients continue to look to us to help them navigate the constant, accelerated change they face in this New Dynamic Decade and are asking us, What’s Next?,” said Joe Andrew, Global Chairman of Dentons. “We are committed to combining with firms like Dentons Paz Horowitz, that have the experience, the quality and the confidence to help our clients thrive wherever they are located.”

As the sixth-largest economy in South America, Ecuador had a GDP of approximately $108 billion USD in 2019. It is highly dependent on commodities, namely petroleum, mining, agriculture and tourism.

“This important combination builds on the momentum we have achieved as the first and only pan-Latin American law firm,” said Jorge Alers, Dentons CEO of the Latin America and Caribbean Region. “This will make us a magnet for talent and enable us to assist clients seeking a breadth of services that few of our global competitors can match.”

Dentons Paz Horowitz is recognized as a leader in Ecuador for its unrivaled expertise in the key practice areas of Intellectual Property, Anti-Corruption Investigations and Compliance, Corporate and M&A, Mining, Energy, and Aviation. Also, its lawyers have been recognized in Chambers Latin America 2020, Latin Lawyer 250, Legal 500 and Leaders League 2021. With a presence in the key locations of Quito and Guayaquil, Paz Horowitz is ideally positioned to bring solutions to clients across different practice and sectors.

“Having witnessed Dentons’ ability to deliver sophisticated, high-quality legal services and innovative business solutions without ever compromising quality, integrity or professionalism, we are very excited to launch our combination and become Dentons Paz Horowitz” said Jorge Paz Durini, Founding Partner of Paz Horowitz. “Our clients will continue to work with the lawyers they know and trust, who can now connect them to additional resources and best development practices and technology throughout the region and around the world.”

In Latin America and the Caribbean, Dentons now has a presence in 28 countries throughout the region:

In 2021, Dentons has launched combinations with:

• East African Law Chambers (EALC) in Tanzania;
• Davis Brown (Iowa) and SIrote (Alabama) in the United States; and
• Nigerian law firm ACAS-Law.

The firm has also:

• Announced a combination with Bolivian law firm Guevara & Gutierrez;
• Opened locations in Grenada and Montevideo Zona Franca.

To respond to market demand for complementary services on a truly global scale, Dentons also launched Dentons Global Advisors in June, a strategic advisory firm that provides integrated solutions for clients in an increasingly complex, regulated and interconnected business environment.