Law firms of the United Kingdom
SNR Denton was a multinational law firm co-headquartered in London and Washington, D.C. The firm operated in 60 locations across 43 countries and had around 1,250 lawyers.[3][6] It was one of the 25-largest law firms in the world, with revenues of around $750 million in 2011/12.[3][7]
SNR Denton was formed through the merger of the UK-based Denton Wilde Sapte LLP and the US-based Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP in September 2010.[5] The firm was structured as a Swiss Verein and had a single management board but the partnerships of the predecessor firms were not financially integrated.[3] In March 2013, SNR Denton merged with the international law firm Salans and the Canada-based law firm Fraser Milner Casgrain, forming Dentons.
The American Lawyer estimated SNR Denton to be the 29th largest law firm in the world by number of lawyers[8] and 43rd by annual revenue[9] in 2012, its last full year of operation.
History
In 1785, Thomas Wilde (1758-1821) and Samuel Archer Hussey founded a law firm that became Wilde Sapte. In 1788, Denton Hall Burgin was established by Sam Denton. In 1906, Edward Sonnenschein and partners opened a law firm in Chicago that eventually became Sonnenschein Nath Rosenthal.
In 2000, the City of London-based law firms Denton Hall and Wilde Sapte merged to form Denton Wilde Sapte.[10] In 2009, 100 lawyers (including 40 partners) joined Sonnenschein from Thacher Proffitt & Wood, doubling the firm’s number of lawyers in New York.[11] In May 2010, Denton Wilde Sapte and Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal announced their intention to merge.[12] On 30 September 2010, the merger between Denton Wilde Sapte and Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal was formally completed, establishing SNR Denton.[5]
In January 2011, SNR Denton opened in Hong Kong following the assimilation of the Hong Kong office of Hammonds.[13]
On 11 November 2012, SNR Denton, Salans and the Canada-based Fraser Milner Casgrain announced a three-way merger, forming a new law firm structured as a Swiss Verein and named Dentons.[14] The partners of the three firms ratified the merger on 28 November 2012 and the new firm was planned to begin operations in early 2013.[15]
In January 2013, SNR Denton entered into an association with the Kuwaiti law firm Jamal Ahmed Al-Shehab.[16]
The merger between SNR Denton, Fraser Milner Casgrain and Salans was completed on 28 March 2013.[17]
Main practice areas
SNR Denton's main practice areas included:[18]
- Banking and finance
- Capital markets
- Corporate and business transactions
- Employment, benefits and executive compensation
- Intellectual property and technology
- Litigation and arbitration
- Public policy and regulation
- Real estate
- Restructuring and insolvency
- Tax
- Trusts and estates
