Bloomberg Law
Nov. 13, 2015, 5:48 PM UTC

Least Sexy Part of a Big Law Merger: Formalizing It

Casey Sullivan

What does it mean to ‘formalize’ a law firm merger?

On Wednesday, that’s just what Dentons did when it announced — in ‘yes, it’s really happening!’ style — its combination with China’s Dacheng Law Offices. But what, if anything, actually happened on that day that made the deal official?

“There is no seismic thing that happens,” said Elliott Portnoy, Dentons CEO.

Indeed, it was back in January when the firms voted to approve the mega-deal and Chinese regulators approved it that same month. In the words of Hansel from Zoolander: “The results are in, amigo! What’s left to ponder?!”

Portnoy explained:

“The ability to actually formalize and have ...

Learn more about Bloomberg Law or Log In to keep reading:

Learn About Bloomberg Law

AI-powered legal analytics, workflow tools and premium legal & business news.

Already a subscriber?

Log in to keep reading or access research tools.