Dentons, the world’s largest law firm, is announcing today a combination with leading Vietnamese law firm, LuatViet. The combination will give Dentons a presence in the key locations of Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.

LuatViet’s outstanding reputation as a leading counsel in Vietnam to global clients, coupled with Dentons’ worldwide reach, will connect services to clients in Vietnam. This proposed and historic combination is a critical milestone as Dentons continues to build its presence across ASEAN by combining with a highly-esteemed firm with whom it has a longstanding relationship.

LuatViet and Dentons have served clients collaboratively for many years, in practice areas such as Banking and Finance, M&A, and Corporate & Investment. Dentons’ proposed combination with this established and prestigious firm, one of the oldest in Vietnam, is a meaningful testimony to years of successful collaboration.

Dentons’ combination with LuatViet would further advance Dentons’ strategy to become the leading global law firm in the ASEAN region, helping clients to navigate challenges in five countries in the region, and 205 locations across 81 countries around the world.

In a region emerging on the global economy stage, Dentons’ unique polycentric approach has been a differentiator, disrupting the traditional model for providing legal services in ASEAN.

“Vietnam, as one of the fastest growing economies in the world, is a priority market for our clients,” said Elliott Portnoy, Global CEO of Dentons. “Combining with LuatViet, with whom we have years of significant collaboration, will allow us to connect clients to leading talent in Vietnam and to more than 20,000 professionals around the globe.”

“Combining with one of Vietnam’s leading law firms will allow Dentons to serve the ASEAN Region, and is an example of our polycentric approach”, said Joe Andrew, Global Chairman of Dentons. “As we enter the New Dynamic Decade, our clients will continue to be confronted with constant, accelerated change and our combination with LuatViet – with a presence across key locations in Vietnam – positions Dentons to help clients thrive wherever they are located.”

LuatViet has three partners and more than 30 legal professionals and enjoys a strong reputation for world-class legal services in Vietnam. It is widely recognized in the market for leadership in Manufacturing, Real Estate & Construction, Banking & Finance, and individual representation. The combination would lead to significant synergies in light of Dentons’ strengths in many of these areas.

“Dentons’ strategy is focused on finding firms who have the proven ability to offer sophisticated, high-quality legal services and business solutions,” said Gerald Singham, Vice-Chair and CEO of Dentons’ ASEAN Region. “LuatViet is a leading and internationally-focused firm. Our combination continues Dentons’ momentum in ASEAN, enabling Dentons to, once again, maintain and improve its quality as it grows.”

“LuatViet and Dentons share the vision of leading the way for differentiated client service in ASEAN,” said Tran Duy Canh, Founder and Managing Partner of LuatViet. “Our future combination with Dentons means that our clients benefit from continuing to be served by lawyers with essential local expertise, while also having access to an unrivalled talent pool around the globe.”

• East African Law Chambers (EALC) in Tanzania;
• Davis Brown in the United States;
• Nigerian law firm ACAS-Law;
• Sirote in the United States
• Ecuadorian law firm Paz Horowitz Abogados;
• Bolivian law firm Guevara & Gutierrez.

The firm has also opened new locations in Grenada, Montevideo Zona Franca and Johannesburg.

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.