Dentons Elects Former Ernst & Young Executive as Global CEO (1)

Dentons elected former Ernst & Young vice chair Kate Barton as its global chief executive officer.

Barton, who spent over 35 years in leadership roles at EY, will join Dentons in early September and will start her term Nov. 10, the firm said Wednesday.

Barton is stepping into the role after longtime CEO Elliott Portnoy announced last December he would not be seeking another three years when his term expires in November. As chairman of Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal, Portnoy helped guide its merger with UK-based Denton Wilde Sapte in 2010 to create SNR Dentons, the predecessor to the current firm.

Dentons, structured as a Swiss Verein, has more than 2,200 lawyers across 155 offices in 82 countries, making it the world’s largest law firm by headcount. It brought in $1.2 billion in revenue in 2023, according to figures reported by the American Lawyer.

“I really loved the challenger brand of Dentons—the fact that it’s a first mover,” Barton said in an interview. “It likes to do things differently.” She will work with Portnoy and regional leaders during a transition this fall.

Barton served as global vice chair of EY starting in October 2022 before retiring from the accounting firm in June 2023. She also served as CEO of its tax, law and people advisory services.

The process of selecting a new CEO was long and rigorous, Portnoy said, noting that the firm looked at both internal and external candidates over seven months. “Kate brings to us the depth of expertise in professional services and in an environment that is even more complex, larger and decentralized than Dentons,” he said.

Barton has expertise in areas where law firms have not historically been as great as the Big Four, including investments in people, technology, systems and processes, and innovation and artificial intelligence, Portnoy said.

“If Dentons is committed, as we are, to being the world’s largest and leading global law firm that provides legal and business solutions for our clients, we need to turn to the deepest expertise in that terrain to help lead us,” he said.

A key objective for Barton in her new role will be to continue to grow the Dentons’ business. Dentons opened in India in 2023 through a combination with law firm Link Legal. It also made two combinations in 2022, with firms in Tunisia and Vietnam. It finalized a combination with Philippine law firm, PJS Law, earlier this year.

The firm will add other countries strategically when needed and bring in talent in major markets in the US, UK and Middle East, Barton said.

“Business is being done globally, and so I think it’s a real competitive edge being able to harness all those great minds from around the world to solve clients’ issues,” Barton said. “It’s great for our people and for our clients, which to me is critical.”