Dentons plans to merge with one of China’s biggest law firms to create the largest global law firm by attorney headcount, in a bid to provide legal services to Chinese companies that are increasingly looking overseas for expansion.

德同国际律师事务所(Dentons)计划与中国最大律所之一大成律师事务所(Dacheng)合并，缔造一家律师数量最多的全球律师事务所，此举旨在为越来越多寻求海外扩张的中国企业提供法律服务。

Dentons said partners of Dentons and Dacheng had agreed to the deal, which would create a firm of 6,600 lawyers in 120 offices in more than 50 countries. The deal is awaiting Chinese regulatory approval. A formal announcement is expected next week.

德同表示，德同和大成合伙人已就合并达成协议，将缔造一家拥有6600名律师、在50多个国家设有120个办事处的律所。该交易正等待中国监管部门的审批。预计将于下周正式宣布。

The new firm is to be known as Dentons outside of China and Dacheng inside China. It will have a logo that begins with the two Chinese characters for Dacheng and ends with the name “Dentons”.

新公司在中国以外名为德同，在中国国内名为大成。公司标识将从大成的两个中国汉字开始，以德同的英文名结尾。

The combined firm will surpass the current largest firm by attorney numbers, Baker & McKenzie, which has more than 4,000 lawyers.

合并后的律所在律师数量上将超越目前最大律所贝克•麦坚时国际律师事务所(Baker & Mckenzie)，后者拥有4000多名律师。

The news comes in the same week that New York-based Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson said it was closing its Hong Kong and Shanghai offices. “Some international law firms in China are struggling because of the economic downturn and the drop in inbound M&A,” said Dan Roules, a lawyer in the Shanghai office of the law firm Squire Patton Boggs. “Though outbound M&A has risen, it is very price sensitive,” he added.

本周，总部设在纽约的律所Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson表示，将关闭其香港和上海办事处。Squire Patton Boggs律师事务所上海办事处律师丹•鲁尔斯(Dan Roules)表示：“由于中国经济低迷且对华并购数量减少，一些在华国际律所步履维艰。”他补充称：“尽管对外并购有所增加，但这些交易对价格非常敏感。”

Chinese law prevents a full merger of domestic and international law firms so Dentons, a global law firm, and Dacheng, a rapidly growing local firm, have chosen a Swiss verein structure that allows firms based in different countries to combine under a single brand while keeping their finances separate, said legal experts.

法律专家表示，中国法律禁止国内律所和海外律所全面合并，因此全球律所德同和迅速崛起的中国律所大成选择了瑞士协会结构(Swiss verein)，该结构允许总部在不同国家的律所在一个品牌下结合，同时保持财务独立。