The DLA Piper story

In 2005, DLA Piper was created through a merger of unprecedented scope. This is the story of our continued growth and evolution.

March, 2021

DLA Piper receives the second-highest ranking for law firm client service in the BTI Client Service A-Team 2021 report, marking the 12th year that we have been recognized in the report and our highest-ever ranking

February, 2021

DLA Piper ranks among the top three most active law firms for combined global deal volume in M&A, venture capital and private equity in 2020

January, 2021

DLA Piper is named the second most powerful global legal brand in the Acritas Global Elite Brand Index

January, 2021

For the 11th consecutive year, DLA Piper earns the top legal advisor ranking globally for overall M&A deal volume in 2020

January, 2021

For the 13th consecutive year, we earn a perfect score from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index and are again rated a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality

January, 2021

Frank Ryan takes on the role of DLA Piper Americas chair, global co-chair and global co-CEO

December, 2020

DLA Piper is named by the Financial Times as the second most innovative and second most digital law firm in the 2020 North America Innovative Lawyers report

October, 2020

DLA Piper is named a top five real estate law firm by Commercial Property Executive and Multi-Housing News for the tenth consecutive year

September, 2020

The firm receives Mansfield 3.0 Certified Plus status for 2020 in recognition of its efforts to increase diversity in firm leadership

September, 2020

For the ninth consecutive year, Working Mother magazine names us one of the best law firms for women

April, 2020

DLA Piper is ranked the #3 law firm by revenue in The Am Law 100

March, 2020

DLA Piper is recognized as the ninth strongest US law firm brand in the Acritas US Law Firm Brand Index 2018

March, 2020

DLA Piper launches a Coronavirus Resource Center (CRC) to help clients manage the issues and challenges confronting their businesses and workforces as a result of the spread of COVID-19

December, 2019

DLA Piper named by the Financial Times as top firm for innovation in diversity and inclusion

February, 2019

For the second consecutive year, DLA Piper was the only firm to rank as one of the top five most active law firms for private equity, venture capital and M&A deal volume

February, 2019

DLA Piper joined the initial group of Governing Council members for Hedera Hashgraph, a next-generation public ledger

A WELCOME TO…

DLA Piper opens Dublin office

December, 2018

The firm was awarded Gold Standard Certification from the Women in Law Empowerment Forum (WILEF) for the sixth-consecutive year

December, 2018

For the seventh consecutive year, the Financial Times names us among the most innovative law firms in North America

February, 2018

Andrew Darwin is named senior partner of DLA Piper International and global co-chairman

A WELCOME TO…

Manokore Attorneys joined DLA Piper Africa as a member firm in Zimbabwe

Noguera, Larraín & Dulanto merges with BAZ|DLA Piper in Chile to form DLA Piper BAZ NLD

The firm integrated with Danish law firm DELACOUR

DLA Piper established an agreement with Argentine firm Cabanellas Etchebarne Kelly (CEK)

September, 2017

Law360 ranks us #6 among law firms for global reach and breadth of international work

June, 2017

Launch of our Global Scholarship Programme, supporting outstanding law students from developing regions to achieve their professional goals and contribute to the development of rule of law around the world

A WELCOME TO…

We integrate with Portuguese firm ABBC to better serve global clients needing legal advice across Spain, Portugal, Latin America and Africa

A cooperation agreement with Lima-based Pizarro, Botto & Escobar Abogados brings us to Peru. The firm now has a presence in five of Latin America’s largest economies

Danish law firm LETT joins, making us the first global law firm to have a pan-Nordic presence, with five offices across the region

We merge with Liner LLP in Los Angeles, with capabilities in media and entertainment, litigation, real estate, business transactions, restructuring, new media and private equity

A WELCOME TO…

We join with Finnish law firm Peltonen LMR and integrate more closely with our office in Sweden, expanding our Nordic presence

We announce our cooperation agreement with Bogota-based Martinez Neira Abogados, establishing a footprint in the fourth-largest economy in Latin America

We announce a cooperation agreement with Santiago-based Bahamondez, Alvarez & Zegers, one of Chile’s leading law firms. Together the firms will operate as BAZ|DLA Piper

A WELCOME TO…

The firm opens a new office in San Juan, Puerto Rico, expanding our growing presence and capabilities in the Americas

We open a new office in Johannesburg, South Africa. The firm now has its own offices in the north and south of the continent, complemented by its alliance with 15 DLA Piper Africa firms

May, 2015

Simon Levine becomes Global Co-CEO following a vote among partners

A WELCOME TO…

In Auckland and Wellington, DLA Phillips Fox becomes DLA Piper New Zealand, the first global law firm brand operating in that country

We finalize a combination with Gallastegui y Lozano, S.C., in Mexico City

DLA Piper LLP (US) and Davis LLP finalize their agreement to join forces as DLA Piper (Canada) LLP

We finalize a cooperation agreement with Martinez Neira Abogados in Bogota

We open a new office in Casablanca, Morocco

Angolan law firm ADCA, in partnership with relationship firm ABBC in Lisbon, becomes the 15th member of DLA Piper Africa

August, 2014

Awarded Best Mentoring Program by an International Firm and Best International Firm for Pro Bono Work at the Euromoney Australasian Women in Business Law Awards 2014

June, 2014

The firm’s Leadership Alliance for Women (LAW) named Best Gender Diversity Initiative by an International Firm and the Best Firm for Women in Business Law in Norway, Poland and Ukraine

March, 2014

Managing Intellectual Property names us Global IP Firm of the Year

February, 2014

We are named Law Firm of the Year at the 2014 Legal Business Awards

January, 2014

The annual William J. Campbell, Jr. Fellowship, named for the late US professional responsibility partner and general counsel, is created

A WELCOME TO…

SAL & Caldeira Advogados Lda in Mozambique becomes newest member of DLA Piper Africa

September, 2013

Senator George Mitchell and DLA Piper deliver the first annual report as the independent athletics integrity monitor under the Athletics Integrity Agreement among The Pennsylvania State University, the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Big Ten Conference

September, 2013

The American Lawyer recognizes New Perimeter, our international pro bono initiative, with a lifetime achievement award

March, 2013

We launch Break Into Law, a global initiative to remove barriers to careers within the legal sector for underrepresented young people

January, 2013

In the Americas, Roger Meltzer and Jay Rains become the firm’s Co-Chairmen, while Stasia Kelly becomes Managing Partner

A WELCOME TO…

DLA Piper Africa expands with the addition of Rubeya & Co Advocates of Burundi and Namibian firm Ellis Shilengudwa Inc

We open our office in Seoul, South Korea, initially focusing on M&A, litigation and arbitration, project finance and IP

September, 2012

With the 2012 Clinton Global Initiative Commitment to Action, we pledge to support legal education in East Africa and the DC Promise Neighborhood Initiative

September, 2012

The American Lawyer names Senator George J. Mitchell a 2012 Lifetime Achiever, recognizing his distinguished career in public service and private practice

February, 2012

Law360 reports that “DLA Piper Tops the List of Megafirms” as we became the largest law firm in the world by headcount, with 4,085 lawyers

A WELCOME TO…

We join Paris offices with boutique law firm Frieh Bouhenic, creating one of the most significant French capabilities of any global law firm

Five new firms in Uganda, Rwanda, Mauritius, Botswana and Ethiopia join DLA Piper Africa

Our new office in Mexico City, Mexico advances our strategic expansion throughout Latin America

October, 2011

We hold our first Global Women’s Leadership Summit in Chicago for women general counsel, associate general counsel and other executive-level women in the legal field

June, 2011

Chambers & Partners honors the firm with its Award of Excellence for having the leading Real Estate practice in the US. We are the only firm to have received this award twice

June, 2011

Senator George Mitchell returns to the firm as Chairman Emeritus, having completed his tenure as Special Envoy for Middle East Peace in the Obama Administration

A WELCOME TO…

We opened offices in Wilmington, Delaware, home to many of our largest corporate clients, and Miami, to expand our presence in Latin America.

By integrating with DLA Phillips Fox, a former Group Firm, we become the world’s largest law firm, the largest integrated Asia Pacific legal practice and the largest global law firm presence in Australia

February, 2010

The firm wins the Outstanding Achievement Award at the 2010 Legal Business Awards in recognition of our “unrivalled impact on the business of law over the last two decades”

A WELCOME TO…

We enter into a cooperation agreement with Brazilian firm Campos Mello Advogados, which has offices in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, allowing our strategic entry into one of the world’s fastest growing economies

Kenyan law firm Iseme, Kamau & Maema Advocates (IKM) becomes the sixth African law firm to join DLA Piper Africa and the first Kenyan law firm to have an exclusive alliance with an international law firm

November, 2009

We join forces with Verizon Communications on a variety of pro bono work focused on improving educational outcomes for children, supporting veterans and protecting domestic violence victims

Weeks later, DLA Piper and Pfizer join forces on a first-of-its-kind pro bono initiative to provide low-income individuals with access to free legal assistance

A WELCOME TO…

We opened offices in Muscat, Oman, and Manama, Bahrain, to reinforce our commitment to provide legal advice across the Middle East.

October, 2008

Our inaugural Global Technology Leaders Summit provides insight into the economic and cultural factors driving the industry. Shortly thereafter, we announce our Global Technology Sector

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Our new office opens in Houston, Texas, one of the four strategic hubs in the world for the energy industry (along with New York, London and the Middle East)

We open an office in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates

We open an office in Doha, Qatar, and enter into a joint venture with the international division of Al Wagayan, Al Awadhi & Al Saif, a leading Kuwait-based law firm, operating under the name DLA Piper Kuwait

Our Bucharest, Romania, office opens as an important step in our commitment to investing in the major business hubs across the region

September, 2007

The annual Jeffrey F. Liss Award, named for the firm’s late US co-managing partner, is created to honor a DLA Piper partner who embodies Jeff’s spirit of stewardship to the firm and to the profession

May, 2007

Our Leadership Alliance for Women (LAW) launches in the US to focus on developing and promoting our women lawyers and maximizing their opportunities for business generation and leadership

January, 2007

We become one of the first in the legal field to launch a Global Sustainability Initiative, affirming our commitment to manage our environmental impact

A WELCOME TO…

Our Warsaw office opens to meet client demand for legal counsel in the growing Polish economy and further strengthen our Central and Eastern Europe practice

The firm opens an office in Munich – our fourth in Germany – to meet rising  business demands in the country’s key commercial areas and support continued growth in Central and Eastern Europe

Reinforcing our global capabilities, we enter into an exclusive agreement with Ghana-based Reindorf Chambers, the fifth African law firm to join DLA Piper Africa

Our office opens in Phoenix, Arizona, one of the fastest-growing markets in the US, adding depth and experience to our global International Arbitration group

September, 2006

DLA Piper becomes our official name

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A regional hub of the Southeast US, our Atlanta, Georgia, office opens as another step toward serving institutional clients through a broad service offering

The Oslo office of DLA Nordic, a former DLA Piper Group Firm, becomes a DLA Piper office

We enter the Middle East with a new office in Dubai, a key center for our Energy practice and opportunities in aviation, finance, IT, technology, private equity and real estate; Entering into an affiliation agreement in Saudi Arabia, we become one of the few international firms with a  presence there, enhancing our ability to respond to foreign investment opportunities

Zambian law firm Chibesakunda & Co. joins DLA Piper Africa, a significant step in our strategy to deliver a range of local and international services for clients across the continent; Ishengoma, Karume, Masha & Magai Advocates (IMMMA), one of Tanzania’s leading corporate practices, joins DLA Piper Africa

February, 2005

We announce New Perimeter, the first-of-its-kind international pro bono initiative, committing 13,000 hours (with a value of more than US$5 million) in the first year to pressing social causes

January, 2005​

DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary is born as the result of the largest merger in the history of the legal profession

A WELCOME TO…

Our new offices in Raleigh, North Carolina, which strengthens our REIT, Real Estate Private Equity and Real Estate Finance practices

Frankfurt, a city that is home to all the major financial institutions; and Russia, where bases in Moscow and St. Petersburg enhance our ability to serve clients across Europe

Our Beijing office opens, allowing us to better meet the growing demand for legal services by Chinese and multinational companies

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