Phillips Fox merges with DLA Piper to become local unit of Anglo-American law firm

Monday 2nd March 2015

Phillips Fox has merged with DLA Piper, one of the world's biggest law firms by revenue, with 4,200 lawyers in offices across the globe.

Terms of the merger weren't disclosed. In New Zealand, DLA Phillips Fox, a corporate law firm with 25 partners and 67 lawyers, has become DLA Piper New Zealand.

The deal follows the merger in 2011 of DLA Phillips Fox (Australia) with the Anglo-American DLA Piper to become DLA Piper Australia.

John Weber, country managing partner for DLA Piper Australia, said the close economic relations between New Zealand and Australia "make it good business sense for DLA Piper to have a presence in New Zealand and the two businesses will continue to work very closely together."

DLA Piper itself was created in 2005 through the merger of San Diego based Gray Cary Ware & Freidenrich, Chicago based Piper Rudnick and the LLP and United Kingdom based DLA LLP.

According to The American Lawyer website, DLA Piper was the highest grossing US law firm in 2012 and 2013. Global revenue rose 2 percent to US$2.48 billion in 2013.

The change isn't official yet in New Zealand, where Companies Office record show the company DLA Phillips Fox and the reserved name DLA Piper New Zealand.

BusinessDesk.co.nz

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