Ted Dwyer of Dwyer Consulting in Australia told Lawyers Weekly: 'This is the first phase of a whole reinvention of the legal landscape globally - a wake-up call to Australian firms about where the market is heading.' He continued: 'Firms can’t sit navel-gazing. You may get the odd piece of work with an informal regional alliance or as a local specialist - but to succeed you must have a physical presence in China and other key Asia-Pacific markets.' 

Cultural barriers

Even though Mr Dwyer warns that there are 'big cultural barriers' to overcome, he thinks that the move will serve Dentons well. The combined firm, the largest in the world by nearly 50 per cent in terms of headcount, has some 6,500 lawyers in 120 offices. Source: Lawyers Weekly