With Latest Deal, DLA Piper Becomes World’s Biggest Law Firm

DLA Piper became the world’s largest law firm by attorney head count this month after combining operations with former Australian alliance partner DLA Phillips Fox.

The American Law Daily reported in January on DLA’s plan to finalize its integration with 700-lawyer DLA Phillips Fox by May 1. The two firms had an exclusive alliance since 2006, and a successful integration of both firms creates a legal giant with roughly 4,200 lawyers worldwide.

Partners at both firms voted in favor of the merger in February, but some lawyers at DLA Phillips Fox chose to forgo joining their larger counterpart in favor of leaving the global firm for smaller Aussie rivals. Among the departures were former corporate partner Iain Rennie, who joined TressCox in late March, a week after nine of his colleagues left the firm to establish an office in Brisbane for Thomsons.

Completion of the merger with DLA Phillips Fox will give DLA more than 700 lawyers in the Asia-Pacific region, according to a firm statement. DLA now operates out of 76 offices in 30 countries and has alliances with firms in 17 additional countries.

On Friday, DLA picked up 10 lawyers in Sacramento after absorbing local boutique Stevens, O’Connell & Jacobs, boosting its presence in the Golden State’s capital to about 25 lawyers.