Durham Jones & Pinegar joins Dentons, world's largest law firm

Salt Lake City-based Durham Jones & Pinegar has joined Dentons, the world’s largest law firm, that operates at 188 locations in 76 countries. The acquisition continues Dentons’ Project Golden Spike, an initiative launched in January with the stated goal to create the “the first truly national law firm in the United States and connecting talent with opportunity across the U.S. and around the world.” Durham Jones & Pinegar is the sixth large firm to join Dentons since January.

Durham Jones & Pinegar is one of the largest and fastest-growing law firms in Utah, with nearly 100 lawyers and offices in Salt Lake City, Lehi, Ogden and St. George. Durham Jones & Pinegar offers a spectrum of legal services in a number of specialized fields, including complex business and finance law, mergers and acquisitions, banking, commercial litigation, intellectual property, bankruptcy, real estate, tax, estate planning, employment, family law and immigration.

When the transaction closes, the Salt Lake City office will be known as Dentons Durham Jones Pinegar. It will be Dentons’ 37th U.S. location.

“We are excited to be combining with Dentons, a widely respected law firm that, like us, clearly prioritizes innovation and adaptability, especially during these extraordinary times,” said Todd Leishman, chairman and president of Durham Jones & Pinegar. “Our combination with Dentons will allow our clients to continue to be served by lawyers they know and trust, who can now connect them to colleagues across the country and around the world.”

“As the legal profession’s transformation accelerates because of the pandemic and global economic crisis, there is no 'new normal' for any organization for the foreseeable future,” the new parent firm said in a release. “Companies now confront a ‘new dynamic’ of constant, accelerated change. With global legal perspective and business insights, Dentons is well-equipped to provide its clients with the tools and talent needed to adapt in this fast, challenging environment.”

“This combination with Durham Jones & Pinegar is a testament to our commitment to helping clients navigate this ‘new dynamic,’” said Joe Andrew, global chairman of Dentons. “As the largest law firm in the world, we are constantly finding new ways to support our clients, wherever they may be. As we have seen from our initial Project Golden Spike combinations of Dentons Bingham Greenebaum (Louisville, Kentucky) and Dentons Cohen & Grigsby (Pittsburgh) with Dentons U.S., when we work together, we are better able to help all our clients meet the evolving challenges they may face.”

“We are delighted to be combining with the talented professionals of Durham Jones & Pinegar in a key and growing market for our clients,” said Elliott Portnoy, global CEO of Dentons. “The Salt Lake City metropolitan area is a model for the new dynamic economy, a community with a history of strong economic growth and stability that continues to foster a vibrant, diverse group of innovative businesses and initiatives. We look forward to becoming the first global law firm with an office in the ‘Silicon Slopes.’”

“In times of accelerated change, the model of law firm combinations needs to continue to transform,” said Toby McClamroch, managing partner of Dentons’ United States Region. “Through the Golden Spike model and this combination with Durham Jones & Pinegar, Dentons is able to foster true collaboration between member firms and continue its trajectory to better serve clients across our focus on the 100 largest legal markets in the U.S.” 

Dentons originated in London before a rash of mergers beginning in 2013 made it a global firm and, eventually, the world’s largest. The firm employs more than 10,000 attorneys.