New-look Dentons to go live on 28 March - and 2 April

The firms will come under the Dentons banner at that point after the trio had previously stated their intention to combine in the first quarter of 2013.

The merger was approved in a partner vote in November (28 November 2012).

Dentons will not launch any public expression of the tie-up, described internally as its ‘public introductory events’, until 2 April, enabling the firm to work around Easter Monday on 1 April, as well as other public holidays around the world during the week leading up to it.

However, partners of Salans, SNR Denton and FMC will become Dentons partners on 28 March, with the firm also thought to be taking on the new branding at that point.

The integration of partners and staff geographically is likely to take longer in locations such as London and New York where more than one of the three firms has offices.

The live date is marginally later than a 1 March launch that had previously been considered, although the firms had long stated that the deal would go live by 1 April at the latest (17 January 2013).

Confirmation of the schedule comes amid news that FMC is set to lose an 11-strong team of corporate and mining lawyers in Toronto ahead of the merger in a move seen as a major blow to the firm.

The team of six partners joining Canadian rival Bennett Jones includes national practice group leader for securities Michael Melanson, FMC national mining co-chair Sander Grieve and business law co-manager Linda Misetich Dann. They are joined by corporate and securities partners Abbas Ali Khan, James Clare and Ali Naushahi, corporate senior counsel John Sabine and associates Elianeth Alicea, Jamie Au, Tiffany Canzano and Justin Park.

FMC was unavailable for comment on the departures.