Kate Barton To Lead Dentons As New Global CEO, Succeeding Elliott Portnoy

Kate Barton To Lead Dentons As New Global CEO, Succeeding Elliott Portnoy

Dentons, the world’s largest law firm by headcount, has appointed Kate Barton, a former global vice chair of EY, as its next global CEO. Barton will succeed Elliott Portnoy, who has served as Dentons’ CEO since the firm's inception in 2013. Based in New York, Barton has spent the last 35 years at EY, holding various leadership roles, including CEO of tax, law, and people advisory services, where she oversaw a global workforce of 70,000 and generated revenues exceeding $11 billion. Dentons highlighted Barton’s role in transforming EY’s global tax practice through investments in people, technology, global shared service centers, world-class methods, processes, and M&A activity.

Barton will join Dentons in early September for a handover period with Portnoy, whose term ends on November 9, 2024. Barton will officially begin her role as global CEO on November 10. Portnoy expressed confidence in Barton’s abilities, citing her extensive experience leading a global professional service organization and her skills in managing people, processes, and systems. He also praised her successful client service experience and thoughtful approach to integration.

Barton’s appointment follows Portnoy’s announcement in December of his intention to step down as CEO. The search for his successor was led by Dentons’ global board talent and governance committee chair, Gerald Singham, and involved Chicago-based executive search consultancy Spencer Stuart. Dentons did not disclose the number of candidates considered but confirmed that multiple individuals, both from inside and outside the firm, were interviewed.

Portnoy has been Dentons’ global CEO since the firm adopted its current name after the $1 billion tripartite merger of legacy SNR Denton, French firm Salans, and Canada’s Fraser Milner Casgrain in 2013. Under his leadership, more than 50 law firms have joined Dentons, making it the largest firm in the world by lawyer headcount in 2015 following a merger with Beijing’s 4,000-lawyer giant Dacheng. Portnoy’s decision to step down came after Joe Andrew, Dentons’ founding global chair, stepped down earlier in 2023. The firm subsequently eliminated the global chair role.

Portnoy and Andrew collaborated to create a ‘polycentric’ law firm through a series of mergers that began in 2010 when legacy Chicago firm Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal joined with London’s Denton Wilde Sapte to create SNR Denton. Andrew, previously a partner at Sonnenschein, and Portnoy, the firm’s youngest chairman and founder of its public law group, worked together to build Dentons into a global powerhouse.

A Dentons spokesperson said Portnoy “has not yet made any professional commitments after his term expires and is in discussions with the global board about his next professional and personal chapter.”

Despite its split from Dacheng last year due to Chinese cybersecurity and data protection laws, Dentons remains the largest law firm in the world by lawyer headcount, with almost 6,000 lawyers across more than 80 countries.

Barton expressed excitement about joining Dentons, “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’ regional leadership to continue challenging industry norms.”