Elliott Portnoy shares the most important piece of advice he’d like to impart to his successor
Elliott Portnoy has been a pillar of Dentons for over a decade as its founding global CEO. He has led the firm throughout its extensive worldwide expansion, continuing to grow the Dentons brand through the uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As he prepares to hand the mantle of global CEO over to Kate Barton, Portnoy shares to Australasian Lawyer what he considers to be the “true test” of his effectiveness as a leader, the most important piece of advice he wants to impart to Barton, and how he feels about starting a new chapter in his life.
How does it feel to be stepping down as global CEO after more than 10 years?
Over the past 10+ years, I have had the privilege of leading an extraordinary organisation filled with talented, dedicated professionals in 82 countries including a leading presence in both Australia and New Zealand. Together, we have achieved remarkable milestones, navigated challenges and set new standards of excellence in the legal industry. I am immensely proud of what we have accomplished as a firm, and I look forward to seeing Dentons continue to grow and strengthen under Kate’s leadership.
I have long believed that the true test of whether I have been effective as founding global CEO is how well the firm performs when I am no longer at the helm, and to that end, I am committed to working closely with Kate to ensure she has a meaningful and extensive handover period and is positioned for enormous success.
In the years you’ve been with and led Dentons, what in your opinion are the most significant ways in which the firm has changed and grown?
Having helped create Dentons over a decade ago, I have witnessed the firm constantly adapt to meet the needs of our clients and remain competitive in the legal landscape. The most significant ingredient in our success has been our polycentric, in and of the community approach to growing in new markets. Where our competitors send lawyers from one place to practice in another, we combine with elite firms in each market. The result is that we are both deeply local and uniquely global in every one of our more than 160 offices around the world.
No other law firm can meet our breadth and depth, and we remain the only truly polycentric global firm which allows us to meet client needs in a differentiated fashion.
What in your opinion has been your proudest achievement as Dentons global CEO?
There are many achievements that I am proud to have been a part of during my time as global CEO. I am incredibly proud of the growth of the firm – both in size and in evolving alongside the competitive legal landscape to provide the best service possible to our clients. Amongst my proudest moments was when we combined with Kapdi Twala in South Africa, becoming the only Level 1 Black Economic Empowerment certified law firm in South Africa. This is key to our success in South Africa, and increasingly across all of Africa where we are the leading pan-African law firm.
Last year, Dentons became the first global law firm to combine with a law firm in India by announcing a historic combination with a leading Indian law firm, Dentons Link Legal. Since the combination, we have been connecting our clients to leading talent in the world’s most populous country, which boasts a thriving economy and immeasurable opportunities for clients. Earlier this year, we also combined with a leading law firm in the Philippines, PJS Law, expanding our reach in this dynamic, fast-growing market in the ASEAN region. What has made me continuously proud however, is the diverse, exceptional talent within our firm. Our people have proved to be agile, innovative, resilient during challenging moments – and they are always focused on serving their markets better.
What was the biggest challenge you faced in the role?
Over the past decade, we encountered numerous transformative events, including economic fluctuations, geopolitical shifts, armed conflict and the unprecedented challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Each of these required swift, decisive action and strategic adaptation to ensure the continued success and resilience of the firm. In particular, the pandemic presented a unique and multifaceted challenge. We were the first law firm to implement a pandemic preparedness task force and this group met daily for many months.
Ensuring the health and safety of our people while maintaining seamless service to our clients required us to rethink traditional ways of delivering results. We had to accelerate our digital transformation, implement different working solutions and foster a culture of agility and resilience. This period tested our ability to innovate and adapt, but it also showcased the incredible dedication and ingenuity of our teams across the Firm.
During your handover period, what is the most important piece of advice you want to impart to Kate as your successor?
Kate is an exceptional leader and is already in a position to lead the firm from strength to strength. As I will emphasise in our handover period, the key to Dentons is our differentiated position in the marketplace. We did not set out to be like other firms, and it’s vitally important that we continue to nurture our unique position in the global legal business in 80+ countries. In my experience, law firms fall over themselves trying to be more like each other. That has never been the Dentons way. Our approach is to challenge the status quo and to provide a value proposition that our clients need and that no one else offers. We should continue to double-down on this unique approach.
Can you tell us more about what you will be doing once you formally step down?
I have not yet made any professional commitments after my term expires on November 9, 2024, and am in discussions with the global board about my next professional and personal chapter.
What are you looking forward to in the coming year?
I am looking forward to having a successful handover period with Kate Barton and watching her lead the firm into the future. She brings a wealth of experience and a fresh perspective to Dentons that I believe will resonate with all our colleagues and inspire them to continue delivering the best possible service to our clients.
While I have not yet made any professional commitments after my term expires, I am excited at the prospect of a new professional and personal chapter and to watching Dentons continue to thrive long into the future.
