Morris, who joined the City firm in 1997 from Lloyd’s of London, where he was in-house counsel within the corporation’s regulatory division, will co-lead the dispute resolution practice with existing group head Elizabeth Tout.
Tout has led the practice for 17 years, having joined the firm in 1985 from Edmonds Bowen & Co, where she qualified.
Morris, who took up his new role at the beginning of last month, focuses on investment banking and trade finance disputes as well as non-contentious regulatory matters.
Dentons’ advocacy head, Rory McAlpine, told Legal Week: “This is a big department; Paul is a younger partner and can bring in a different aspect.”
The appointment follows a string of recent management changes within Dentons’ practice groups, with the firm’s corporate and banking practices also now each led by two partners rather than one.
Corporate partners Richard Macklin and Jeremy Cohen were appointed to co-lead the firm’s corporate practice in April last year, while in October partners Serge Sergiou and Nick Grandage were appointed to co-lead the firm’s banking practice, taking the helm from Matthew Jones.
Jones’ move coincided with the project finance team moving from Dentons’ banking group to the firm’s energy practice.