DLA Piper

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DLA Piper is one of the largest law firms in the world and it is the only firm with more than 3,500 lawyers in North America and Europe. DLA Piper is a legal services organization whose members and affiliates are separate and distinct legal entities.[1]

Together, the organization boasts more than 3,500 lawyers in 29 countries and 67 offices throughout the world. DLA Piper was formed as a result of the 2005 merger of San Diego-based Gray Cary Ware & Freidenrich LLP, UK-based DLA LLP (previously Dibb Lupton Alsop 1996-2000), and Piper Rudnick LLP (itself a 1999 merger of Baltimore-based Piper & Marbury and Chicago-based Rudnick & Wolfe). In 2007, the firm had more than $2.1 billion in revenue, making it one of the highest grossing law firms in the world.

Management

The firm is managed globally by two joint chief executive officers: Nigel Knowles and Lee Miller. The Chairman of the firm's Global Board is Frank Burch who was formerly one of the joint chief executives. Former U.S. Democratic Senator George Mitchell was the firm's previous Chairman.

Clients

DLA Piper's clients range from multinational, Global 1,000 and Fortune 500 enterprises to emerging companies developing industry-leading technologies. DLA Piper represents more than 140 of the top 250 Fortune 500 clients and nearly half of the FTSE 350 or their subsidiaries.

Notable mandates

• Won an international mandate as Christie's external counsel in May 2009.
• Advised Oman Investment Fund on a £445 million joint venture in June 2009.
• Successfully represented bmibaby and bmi against a claim brought by Durham Tees Valley airport in the High Court for £12 million in alleged losses as a result of bmibaby's decision to cease operating two B737 aircrafts based at the airport in 2009.
• Advised Deloitte on the administration of 28 companies in the retail conglomerate Mosaic Fashions in 2009.
• Advised on the administration of Zavvi, Whittard, Faith Shoes and Passion for Perfume in 2009.
• Counseled Heckmann Corp, through its Hong Kong and Phoenix branches, in its $625 million of China Water and Drinks Inc in 2008.
• DLA Piper Madrid advised a consortium of banks including Caja de Ahorros y Monte de Piedad de Madrid, Banco Sabadell SA, Banco Popular Espanol SA, ICO, Banco Español de Crédito SA and Caixa Geral de Depósitos in a €1.2 billion for forestry company Grupo Empresarial Ence SA in 2008.

Awards

Current awards held by DLA Piper include:

- Named "Corporate Law Firm of the Year" at the Belgian Legal Awards 2009.

- Named "European Copyright Firm of the Year" at the Managing Intellectual Property (MIP) Global Awards 2009.

- Won "Sustainability Initiative Award" from ITP Publishing Group in May 2009.

Offices

♠ Australia and New Zealand offices are those of alliance firm DLA Phillips Fox

+ Austrian and Central European offices practice as DLA Piper Weiss-Tessbach Rechtsanwälte GmbH

^ Egyptian office practice as DLA Matouk Bassiouny

- South African offices practice as DLA Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr

~ Georgian office practices as DLA Piper Gvinadze & Partners LP

External links

• Official site