DLA Piper

DLA Piper is one of the world’s largest law firms.

It was formed through a series of mergers, with its origins tracing back to UK firms Dibb Lupton Broomhead and Alsop Wilkinson (founded way back in 1798) which merged in 1996 to create ‘DLA’ - then one of the UK’s biggest firms.

The firm as we know it today came about in 2005 after a transatlantic three-way merger of UK-based DLA and US firms Piper Rudnick and Gray Cary Ware & Freidenrich. This created one of the largest law firms in the world at the time and the largest firm in the UK.

The newly formed entity was initially named DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary US LLP, which was shortened (thankfully) to DLA Piper in 2006.

Today, the firm employs around 4,500 lawyers across 90 offices in more than 40 countries, making it the sixth-largest law firm by headcount globally.

The firm’s vast global reach is only bettered by the likes of behemoths Dentons. Its offices span the US and Canada, South America, Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe and the Middle East.

While that may sound like a trump card (it doesn’t exactly hold the firm back in the global revenue stakes), it’s both a strength and a challenge.

Much like rivals Dentons and Eversheds Sutherland, the firm's ‘everywhere’ strategy can sometimes dilute its impact - particularly in the prestige stakes - positioning the firm as a dominant mid-market player with the best global reach of any rival, but not necessarily as the go-to choice for top-tier advice in any one jurisdiction.

The UK remains a key market, with offices in seven cities: Birmingham, Edinburgh, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester and Sheffield.

Still, despite its historic ties to the UK, DLA Piper is difficult to categorise - it’s not really British anymore. Operating as a Swiss Verein (same brand globally but no pooling of revenue or profits), the firm maintains two financially independent partnerships: DLA Piper International and DLA Piper US.

Neither distinctly UK nor fully US in identity, DLA Piper is probably best described as ‘Anglo-American’ or ‘Transatlantic’. Whatever you call it, the model is most definitely working.

In 2024, DLA Piper became the first UK-founded law firm to pass £3 billion in annual revenue. A 6.3% jump in fees brought it to £3.01 billion, far outpacing the Magic Circle firms. Its closest rival, Clifford Chance, trails at £2.3 billion.

Other things to know

Appointment of former Government Ministers: In March 2024, DLA Piper announced the appointment of former UK Home Secretary David Blunkett to its government affairs team. In 2023, the firm also appointed former cabinet minister David Lidington to its board as a non-executive director.

What is DLA Piper known for?

DLA Piper is a full service corporate law firm, advising clients including companies, financial institutions, and public bodies across a broad range of practice areas.

Nationally, it has leading practices across most of the key regions in the UK. When it comes to City-focused work, its strongest practice areas include:

Corporate/M&A: DLA Piper has one of the UK’s leading M&A practices for mid-market deals, acting for companies across a range of sectors and bolstered by its extensive global footprint which helps it secure cross-border work. It is ranked in Band 1 by Chambers for mid-market M&A advice.

Private Equity: Similar to its conventional M&A practice, DLA Piper has a highly-regarded private equity practice - most noted for its work on mid-market deals. The firm acts for sponsors, portfolio companies and management teams through all stages of the private equity lifecycle. It has a Band 1 ranking by Chambers for mid-market buyout advice.

Energy, Resources, and Infrastructure: DLA Piper's energy and natural resources practice covers the full spectrum of legal needs in the industry, covering renewables, oil and gas, and mining. The firm’s infrastructure practice is also highly-regarded. The firm has a Band 2 ranking by Chambers for PFI/PPP work and rail infrastructure projects.

Real Estate: The firm is known for its strengths in real estate, advising clients across the full spectrum of real estate-related matters, from multimillion-pound portfolio and M&A transactions to the acquisition, financing, joint venture formation, leasing and sale of individual properties. It is ranked in Band 2 by Chambers for big-ticket real estate work.

What's Chambers?

We use Chambers rankings to demonstrate a firm's strengths. Chambers is the most highly-regarded provider of law firm rankings in the legal industry. Law firms are ranked in bands from 1 (highest) to 6 (lowest) across a range of practice areas.

It's important to note that being ranked in any band at all is still considered a significant achievement.

Who does DLA Piper compete with?

DLA Piper is regarded as a national powerhouse, and a leading mid-market player on the global stage. It competes with the likes of CMS, Eversheds Sutherland and Pinsent Masons.

DLA Piper is the biggest law firm in the UK by revenue. In 2023/24, its global revenue was £3.01 billion.

In 2023/24, its profit per equity partner (PEP) was £2.4 million.

It’s worth noting that DLA Piper operates as a Swiss Verein. The figures above are the combined figures across its member firms globally. They have also been converted from USD.

How much does a partner at DLA Piper make?

In 2023/24, DLA Piper’s average profit per equity partner (PEP) was £2.4 million.

This is the total amount of profit available for distribution among equity partners, divided by the number of equity partners at the firm.

This represents the average amount that equity partners are entitled to. Some will receive significantly more, some less. It depends on the firm’s profit-sharing formula and each partner’s seniority.

How many trainees does DLA Piper take?

DLA Piper offers up to 65 training contracts across the UK each year.

Trainees complete four seats in different departments, each lasting six months.