Project Golden Spike – A new US model to connect talent to opportunity, across the country
On January 27, 2020, Dentons launched its previously announced combinations and new partnership in the United States. The introduction of Dentons Bingham Greenebaum and Dentons Cohen & Grigsby, together with Dentons US, was the first step in forming a truly national law firm in the United States as part of Dentons' "Project Golden Spike," focused on enhancing talent and capabilities to serve clients across the US in a seamless fashion. On August 11, 2020, Dentons and Durham Jones & Pinegar announced their combination, making Durham Jones & Pinegar the fourth firm to join Project Golden Spike. On March 29, 2021, Dentons launched a previously announced combination with Iowa's leading law firm, Davis Brown Law Firm, now known as Dentons Davis Brown. And on June 7, 2021, Dentons launched its previously announced combination with leading Alabama law firm Sirote & Permutt, now known as Dentons Sirote.
One firm, dual partnership …
On November 16, 2020, Dentons Durham Jones Pinegar joined Dentons US, Dentons Bingham Greenebaum and Dentons Cohen & Grigsby as members of a national law firm using a dual partnership model that allows lawyers to be members of both their current firm and the new national partnership. The model is called "Golden Spike" in honor of the celebratory railroad spike that completed the first transcontinental railroad in the US.
The model enables member firms to maintain their existing partnerships or corporate structures, leadership teams, and other key attributes, meaning that they will reap all the benefits of a global firm without losing their local relationship with clients.
…that serve clients better
Clients benefit from a national firm that is able to serve them throughout the country and across the world, while continuing to be served by lawyers they know, who can connect them to lawyers across the country and around the world. The new national firm enables member firms to capitalize on economies of scale in technology investments that will lower costs and improve service. Clients will also benefit from the greater specialization that the combined member firms can now provide.
A polycentric approach that provides in and of the community insight
As the world's first truly polycentric global law firm, Dentons delivers high-quality legal counsel and business solutions around the world, informed by an in-depth understanding of the various cultures and legal environments in which its clients operate.
Building on Dentons' global polycentric model, the partners of Dentons US, Dentons Bingham Greenebaum, Dentons Cohen & Grigsby and Dentons Durham Jones Pinegar bring that polycentric approach to the US to connect clients to talented lawyers who are in and of their community, across the United States and around the world.
Meeting the demand for a national full service law firm in the US
US law firms are all small compared to the size of the national market, which makes up 47% of all outside corporate legal spend in the world. Not a single one of the largest full service firms are even in the top twenty US markets, let alone the top one hundred, even though they all have significant outside corporate legal spend. A particularly surprising fact, given the distribution of the country's largest private and publicly held companies around the country.
This absence of a truly national US law firm persists despite the fact that clients want to reduce the number of law firms they use and partner with a firm that has the necessary scale to meet the multitude of specialties required in today's global market.
An invitation to other law firms to begin building the first truly national US law firm
These combinations are foundational steps in forming the first truly national law firm in the US. Dentons US, Dentons Bingham Greenebaum, Dentons Cohen & Grigsby and Dentons Durham Jones Pinegar are inviting other premier firms around the US to join with them.
Learn more
A Note to Our Clients
The Golden Spike model will improve the quality of legal service by providing clients access to the talent, teams and tools they need, at scale.
Read More
The US conundrum
Despite the size of the US legal market, there is no truly national US law firm. Not a single one of the largest full service firms are even in the top twenty US markets, let alone the top one hundred, even though they all have significant outside corporate legal spend. Read More
The success of the polycentric proposition
Dentons’ polycentric approach is the key to its success. By clearly articulating its foundation, goal, strategy, vision and purpose, it has created a law firm that delivers objectively better service to its clients and a qualitatively different work experience for its lawyers. www.dentons.com.
Read More
About Dentons
Dentons is the world's largest law firm, delivering quality and value to clients around the globe. Dentons is a leader on the Acritas Global Elite Brand Index, a BTI Client Service 30 Award winner and recognized by prominent business and legal publications for its innovations in client service, including founding Nextlaw Enterprise, Dentons' wholly owned subsidiary of innovation, advisory and technology operating units. Dentons' polycentric approach, commitment to inclusion and diversity and world-class talent challenge the status quo to advance client interests in the communities in which we live and work.
About Dentons Bingham Greenebaum
Dentons Bingham Greenebaum is a premier regional business and tax law firm, based in the Midwest. The firm has helped its clients close deals, manage risks, and open doors to new opportunities for more than 100 years. Dentons Bingham Greenebaum provides transactional, litigation, estate planning, tax and employee benefits, and economic development advice to clients across a variety of industries and business sectors. The firm's client base is diverse and contains regional, national, and international engagements. The attorneys at Dentons Bingham Greenebaum serve clients in the communities where they live and work, with locations in Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio. For more information, visit Dentons Bingham Greenebaum.
About Dentons Cohen & Grigsby
Dentons Cohen & Grigsby, P.C. and its attorneys provide sound legal advice and solutions to clients that seek to maximize their potential in a constantly changing global marketplace. Comprised of more than 140 lawyers, Cohen & Grigsby maintains offices in Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and Naples, Florida. The firm's practice areas include Business Services, Labor & Employment, Immigration/International Business, Intellectual Property, Real Estate & Public Finance, Litigation, Employee Benefits and ERISA, Estates & Trusts, Bankruptcy & Creditors Rights, and Public Affairs. Dentons Cohen & Grigsby represents private and publicly held businesses, nonprofits, multinational corporations, individuals and emerging businesses across a full spectrum of industries. Our lawyers maintain an unwavering commitment to customer service that ensures a productive partnership. For more information, visit Dentons Cohen & Grigsby.
About Dentons Durham Jones Pinegar
Dentons Durham Jones Pinegar has been, and continues to be, deeply rooted in Utah. Founded in 1991, the Firm’s fearless and solution-minded lawyers have delivered exceptional results to its clients. From inception, Dentons Durham Jones Pinegar has, organically and through acquisition, expanded its footprint, expertise and scope of services to help its clients achieve success. For more information, visit Dentons Durham Jones Pinegar.
About Dentons Davis Brown Law Firm
With more than 75 lawyers serving clients in Des Moines, West Des Moines, and Ames, Iowa, Dentons Davis Brown lawyers offer practical, useful legal advice to help clients achieve their business goals. Known for their academic excellence, creativity, integrity, and motivation, our lawyers have been recognized by Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, Chambers USA, and as Best Law Firm in Des Moines for 15 consecutive years.
For more information, visit Dentons Davis Brown.
About Dentons Sirote
Dentons Sirote was founded on a simple philosophy: to deliver excellent legal services on a timely basis at a fair price. For 75 years, Dentons Sirote’s lawyers have maintained an uncompromising commitment to fulfilling this promise for every client that the Firm has the privilege to serve. While the Firm now represents a more expansive list of clients, from Fortune 500 companies to family-owned businesses and high net worth individuals, the Firm’s commitment to delivering an excellent work product in a timely manner at a fair price remains unchanged. For more information, visit Dentons Sirote.
News and Events
Recent Press Releases
Dentons has launched its previously announced combination with leading Alabama law firm, Sirote & Permutt. In Q1 2021, Dentons announced or launched more combinations than any other law firm in the entirety of 2020.
Dentons has launched Dentons Davis Brown in Iowa, continuing Dentons’ momentum in building the first truly national law firm in the United States as part of Project Golden Spike, connecting clients to top-tier legal talent across 44 US locations and 200 locations in 79 countries around the world. In 2020, Dentons accounted for 85% of all cross-border law firm combinations and is now the second best-known law firm in the world according to Acritas.
On the heels of Dentons' recent announcement of its future combination with Iowa's Davis Brown, Dentons and leading Alabama law firm, Sirote & Permutt ("Sirote"), announced today a future combination. In the midst of a global pandemic and economic crisis, Dentons has announced 33 new offices around the world in an environment where other law firms are standing still, contracting or withdrawing from key markets.
Dentons and Iowa's leading law firm, Davis Brown, announced today a future combination. In the midst of a global pandemic and economic crisis, Dentons has announced 28 new offices around the world in an environment where other law firms are standing still, contracting or withdrawing from key markets.
Dentons has launched a previously announced combination with Salt Lake City-based Durham Jones & Pinegar, now known as Dentons Durham Jones Pinegar. In the midst of a global pandemic and economic crisis, Dentons has announced 23 new offices around the world in an environment where other law firms are standing still, contracting or withdrawing from key markets.
Dentons is pleased to announce a combination in the United States with Durham Jones & Pinegar, an innovative and business-focused law firm based in Salt Lake, City, Utah. This combination marks the continuation of Project Golden Spike, a model aimed at building the first truly national law firm in the United States and connecting talent with opportunity across the US and around the world.
Dentons launches its previously announced combinations in the United States. The combination of Bingham Greenebaum and Cohen & Grigsby, together with Dentons US, launches the first step in forming a truly national law firm in the United States as part of Dentons’ “Project Golden Spike.”
Today Dentons US, Bingham Greenebaum and Cohen & Grigsby announce a proposed combination and a new partnership that will enable the firms to build a new national law firm capable of serving clients from coast to coast as well as around the world. This combination represents the first step in forming the first truly national law firm in the US.