Dentons partners are set to vote on a proposed alliance with independent Brazilian firm Vella Pugliese Buosi Guidoni (VPBG), the fourth of its kind for the firm in the Americas in 12 months.

Should both firms’ partners vote in favour of the tie-up over the next few weeks, VPBG’s integration will go ahead later this year.

Through VPBG, Dentons will add 13 partners and 116 fee earners based in offices in São Paulo and Brasília. The firm focuses on competition and cntitrust; corporate and M&A; dispute resolution and litigation; labour; international trade and commodity finance; tax; public and administrative law; real estate; and environmental law.

“We are growing faster in Latin America—and with truly high quality firms—in a way that no one has ever done before,” said Dentons global CEO Elliott Portnoy said. “The speed and quality of our growth in this region are unprecedented.”

Earlier this year, the firm opened a second office in Mexico through a local alliance with independent firm Canales Zambrano y Asociados, Cardenas & Cardenas in Colombia, and entered into negotiations with pan-Central American firm Muñoz Global.

In Europe, Dentons opened its third German office in Munich with the hire of three partners from Norton Rose Fulbright, and two offices in Italy, first in Milan and then in Rome following a two-year strategic plan to build a full-service firm in the country.