Dentons discussing mergers with Australia, Singapore law firms

The talks follow Dentons' agreement earlier in the year to combine with China's Dacheng Law Offices

International law firm Dentons says it is discussing mergers with 500-lawyer Australian firm Gadens and 200-lawyer Singaporean firm Rodyk & Davidson.

The talks follow 3,000-lawyer Dentons' agreement earlier in the year to combine with China's Dacheng Law Offices, whose roughly 4,000 lawyers will help create the world's largest firm when that deal is completed. This year Dentons also merged with Atlanta-based McKenna Long & Aldridge, which had around 400 lawyers.

"By any objective standard, Dentons has accomplished more for our clients in one year than any other firm in recent history, and the year is not over yet," Joseph Andrew, Dentons' global chairman, said in a statement.

The firm also hailed its moves in Asia as part of a "pivot" toward the region, echoing language used by the White House about US foreign policy strategy.

The present Dentons was formed through a series of mergers involving US, British, French and Canadian firms. The firm has mainly used a Swiss verein structure for its combinations, which allows it to maintain legally and financially separate entities sharing a common brand.