Kate Barton, who has worked at EY for longer than many of you reading this have been alive, has been elected as global CEO of Dentons, ‘the world’s largest global law firm.’ Being wholly unfamiliar with law firms here at Going Concern, we decided to fact check that bit.
Law.com has them at #5 in revenue after Kirkland & Ellis, Latham & Watkins, DLA Piper, and Baker McKenzie. A few sources, some of them at least a couple years old, say Dentons does lead the global law syndicate in size by headcount. Still others, many of which appear suspiciously aligned with ChatGPT’s dialect, contradict this claim. Our former sister site Above the Law has a story from 2023 detailing how Dentons became the world’s largest law firm in 2015 and it wasn’t from hiring 6,000 lawyers (Vault calls it “the Pac-Man of law firms“). Anyway, splitting hairs here.
How about that press release:
Dentons, the world’s largest global law firm, today announced that its Global Board of Directors and Global Advisory Committee have elected Kate Barton as the Firm’s next Global CEO. Barton will join Dentons from EY, where she has had a highly distinguished 35-year career in a variety of executive leadership roles, most recently as Global Vice Chair. She will succeed Elliott Portnoy, the founding Global CEO, who has served since the Firm’s launch in 2013.
As one can imagine would happen over a 35-year tenure, Barton held numerous positions since starting out as an intern in 1985. New England Tax Managing Partner, Northeast Sub-Area Tax Managing Partner, New York Office Managing Partner, Americas Vice Chair, Tax, Law and People Advisory Services, Global Vice Chair – Tax, Law and People Advisory Services, and her most recent title of Global Vice Chair.
The handover period begins in September and her first official day is November 10.
Do we want to read the obligatory corpospeak quotes? We do.
“Kate has extensive experience in leading a complex and global professional service organization and has an outstanding skillset in managing people, processes and systems. Her successful client service experience, coupled with her thoughtful approach to integration, make her the ideal individual to lead our Firm,” said Elliott Portnoy, Global CEO. “She has my unqualified support, and I am confident she will lead Dentons from strength to even greater strength and success.”
Reflecting on her appointment, Kate said, “I have watched Dentons redefine the legal services landscape with its pioneering business strategy and client offerings. Under Elliott’s leadership, this Firm has differentiated itself with its polycentric approach and integrated cross-border and multidisciplinary client engagements, proving that uniting and operating as one firm is far more impactful. I am looking forward to working with Elliott on a transition and to collaborating with Dentons’ accomplished regional leadership to continue challenging industry norms and adapting to the ever-changing world of technology and innovation faced by law firms and professional service firms around the world in order to deliver excellence for the benefit of our people and our clients.”
Well that sure was a spectacular corporate meat beating.
