First Canadian law firm to go global

Ogilvy Renault joins Norton Rose Group

Media conference call at 11:00 am EST-details follow in this release

TORONTO AND MONTREAL, Nov. 15 /CNW/ - Ogilvy Renault announced today that it will be joining international legal practice Norton Rose Group on June 1, 2011.

Together the enlarged Group will be a top 10 global legal practice by number of lawyers with more than 2,500 lawyers in 38 offices worldwide.

"This is a tremendous development for the firm and our clients," says John Coleman, Managing Partner of Ogilvy Renault. "As our Canadian clients become increasingly successful on the international stage, we need to be able to support their international growth. This combination will provide our clients access to a vast pool of talented resources and network around the world."

"Norton Rose Group is a global leader, with a highly compatible business focus and client service ethic," says Coleman. "Equally important, our firms have a similar culture and values. As soon as the initial discussions were underway it became clear that we shared a common global vision particularly as it relates to emerging markets such as Asia Pacific. We have strong synergies with the Group, including practice areas, industry sectors and geographic expansion."

"This is a very exciting move for the Group and constitutes a significant step towards realising the Group's global ambition of becoming one of the world's leading providers of legal services, with offices in the world's principal business and financial centres," says Peter Martyr, Group Chief Executive, Norton Rose Group.

"Canada is an increasingly influential economy for our clients in the energy and natural resources, infrastructure, technology and financial institutions sectors," says Martyr. "Ogilvy Renault gives the Group increased strength and depth of resource and expertise in these sectors. We are seeing a considerable increase in the amount of business flowing between Canada, Africa, Europe, Asia and Australia; our expanding Group will be ideally positioned to target this business growth and to provide clients with the highest quality of legal services connecting these regions."

Leading South African law firm Deneys Reitz also announced it is joining the Norton Rose Group today. With more than 200 lawyers, it is the 4^th largest South African firm with offices in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town.

The Managing Partner of Ogilvy Renault, John Coleman will join the Group's Executive Committee. 

Conference call details
We invite media to participate in our conference call on Monday, November 15, at 11:00 a.m. Eastern.

Representatives from Ogilvy Renault and Norton Rose will make a short presentation and then answer questions.

Live call
800-926-4425

Archived call
A recorded version of the proceedings will be available until 11:59 pm EST, Sunday, Nov. 21
416-626-4100 or 800-558-5253; enter reservation number 21488590

For further information:

Pete Zvanitajs, Senior Advisor - Media Relations, Ogilvy Renault (English Press)
416-216-1871; 416-553-5789
[email protected]

Joanne Lajeunesse, Director, Marketing and Media Relations - Quebec Region, Ogilvy Renault  (French press)
514-847-4723; 514-919-2880
[email protected]

Kerrin Roberts, Head of Public Relations, Norton Rose LLP
[phone]; [phone]
[email protected]