Dentons continues rapid expansion, hiring 75 member strong MAB banking litigation team

International legal giant and the first polycentric law firm in the world, Dentons, has confirmed absorption of the entire banking and finance litigation team from Watford-based firm Matthew Arnold and Baldwin (MAB), consisting of 11 partners, 34 associates and 30 paralegals.

MAB is primarily focused on financial litigation for major banks, with the banking and litigation team headed up by two partners, Steven Mills and Clare Stothard. It has prior experience in handling complex disputes for investment and retail banks and other financial institutions. The new team will join Dentons on February 1st, thus giving the firm a strong presence in Watford.

Brandon Ransley, UK managing partner of Dentons, commented that "The market for financial litigation legal advice is becoming more competitive, with clients increasingly looking for innovative service delivery models from their law firms. We have responded to this demand whilst simultaneously enhancing our existing capability to advise at the premium end of the market."

The enlarged team will be led by Dentons partner Richard Caird and will primarily focus on bank-side work, without disturbing Dentons’ existing transactional practice.

The hires are the latest in a string of rapid expansion moves by Dentons, known to be the most active law firm when it comes to expanding (in 2015). The international stalwart has already approved plans to combine with Colombian law firm Cardenas & Cardenas and Lopez Velarde Heftye Y Soria from Mexico. Dentons has also tied-up with US firm McKenna Long & Aldridge, Luxemborg-based OPF Partners and Dacheng from China, and has confirmed expansion plans into Australia and Singapore too.

2015 was a record year for law firm mergers with 91 reported mergers and acquisitions taking place in the United States alone. The trend seems to have carried on into the beginning of 2016 and spread outside the US as well.

- M.R.C

Photo: Dentons Wikipedia Page