JD Journal » DLA Piper

Five New Lawyers Hired at DLA Piper

jim — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 04:34:05 +0000

DLA Piper has announced that it is hiring five partners from the firm of Hogan Lovells.

The five partners hired by DLA Piper, to work in the firm’s Washington office, include the following:

Kevin J. Lipson, the co-head of Hogan’s energy practice, with Lipson focusing mainly on the natural gas sector.

Lee A. Alexander, Stefan M. Krantz, John R. Lilyestrom and Christopher R. Schindler are the remaining four partners to join DLA Piper.

Warren Gorrell, the co-chief executive for Hogan Lovells said in a statement, “While we wish our former colleagues well, it’s important to keep in mind that Hogan Lovells has a global platform with more than 200 high-quality energy lawyers working with many of the world’s leading energy companies.”

The recent hiring move by DLA Piper of these five partners continues a trend of aggressive hiring by the firm, which has over 4,000 lawyers, making it one of the largest law firms in the world based solely on the number of lawyers employed.

In 2011, DLA Piper hired quite a few big name lawyers including James D. Wareham formerly of Paul Hastings Janofsky & Walker and Gregg Galardi formerly of Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom. It has been reported that DLA offered Wareham $5 million per year to lure him away from his previous firm and join DLA Piper.

DLA Piper Adds Pair of Attorneys to Beijing Office

rebneely — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 13:46:45 +0000

DLA Piper has announced that John Shi and Nicolas Groffman have both joined DLA Piper as partners in Beijing.

The pair of attorneys will also work closely with the firm’s Shanghai, Hong Kong and other Asia Pacific offices.

The news dovetails with Mallesons preparation to seal a merger with Chinese firm King & Wood. The Australian firm’s partners voted in favor of the tie-up last week, with King & Wood’s partners understood to have given their backing to the deal this week, according to the November 1^st law.com article, “DLA Piper bolsters China practice with double hire from Mallesons”.

Mallesons’ Beijing chief representative since 2004, Shi is a corporate lawyer with significant expertise in M&A, foreign direct investment and all types of corporate structures and operational issues in China.

Groffman is a partner in Mallesons’ Beijing office. He specializes in technology, media and telecommunications. In addition, he has a broad M&A practice.

In a statement, DLA Piper’s joint CEO Nigel Knowles was quoted as having said, per the law.com article: “As the Chinese government continues to encourage Chinese entities to invest overseas we anticipate a growing emphasis on outbound work. As a global law firm with strong US and EMEA offerings, DLA Piper is well placed to support this trend and the appointment of John and Nic will ensure we have a market leading international legal practice in China.”

DLA Asia-Pacific managing director Alistair Da Costa was quoted as having said in the November 29th law.com article: “One of the strategic priorities for the firm, and for Asia Pacific in particular, is the continual development and growth of our Greater China offering, especially our corporate practice.”

Per the article, it’s anticipated that additional lawyers from Mallesons’ Beijing office will follow Shi and Groffman to DLA Piper, which is also expected to make additions to its Shanghai team.

Currently, DLA Piper has nine partners and 62 other fee-earners working across Beijing and Shanghai, while Mallesons has five partners and 22 other fee-earners in these two cities.

Global law firm DLA Piper has 76 offices across 30 countries and more than 4,200 lawyers. As of May 2011, it was the largest law firm in the world by number of attorneys. The firm is composed of two partnerships, DLA Piper International, and DLA Piper U.S. The two partnerships share a single management board but are not financially integrated.

DLA Piper’s clients range from multinational, Global 1,000 and Fortune 500 enterprises to emerging high-tech companies and start-ups, for which it operates a dedicated division for venture-capital placements. The firm represents over 140 of the top 250 Fortune 500 clients and nearly half of the FTSE 350 or their subsidiaries.

Frank Burch and Tony Angel serve as Co-Chairs of the firm’s Global Board, and Senator George Mitchell as Chairman Emeritus.

DLA Piper Announces Launch of New International Securities Group, Along With New Partner

rebneely — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 13:39:42 +0000

Global law firm DLA Piper announced the launch of its newly created International Securities Group in recent days. Along with that launch, George Barboutis will act as a London-based US securities partner within the group; he joined the firm on November 16^th.

The International Securities Group will bring together lawyers advising on equity and debt offerings in the UK and the EMEA region. With Barboutis’s appointment, DLA Piper moves to establish a London-based US capital markets team providing it with U.S. securities law capability to handle equity and debt offerings of issuers in the EMEA region targeted at US investors. As well, he will concentrate on strengthening the firm’s presence in international/cross-border capital markets transactions. At the same time, he will work to leverage the potential of the firm’s strong office network in EMEA and helping further its integration.

Barboutis specializes in U.S. securities. He is US-qualified (State of New York), as well as qualified as a solicitor in England & Wales. Before joining DLA Piper, Barboutis was a partner with Dewey & Leboeuf based in London. He was promoted to this position in 2007. H joined Dewey Ballantine in 2004 from Shearman & Sterling where he worked with its London US securities group.

Barboutis’s practice covers a wide range of equity, equity-linked and debt securities offerings, including Rule 144A/Regulation S and SEC-registered offerings, US and London listings, as well as M&A and structured finance transactions. On a regular basis, he advises on transactions in the CIS (with a focus on Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan), Poland, Greece, Turkey and the Middle East. George acts for issuers and underwriters with a focus on emerging markets and has worked with major investment banking clients.

Alex Tamlyn, Head of the International Securities Group was quoted as saying in a press release at the firm’s website: “The establishment of the International Securities Group brings together the firm’s expertise across the capital markets space into a single team. This aligns us consistently with the banks and other financial institutions which drive significant securities transactions globally. In an economic environment where access to capital is extremely challenging this allows us to deliver the best possible service to our clients to raise finance across geographies and industries.”

Charles Severs, DLA Piper’s UK Head of Corporate was quoted as saying: “I am delighted that George is joining us. The firm’s international platform and George’s emerging markets focus go hand in hand with one another to strengthen further our corporate offering to both issuers and underwriters globally. We expect to continue to strengthen our US securities capability in London.”

Chris Paci, chair of DLA Piper’s Capital Markets practice in the United States was quoted as saying: “George’s appointment, together with the launch of the International Securities Group, are key milestones in advancing our strategy for delivering global capital markets capability across the major financial centers in the United States, Europe and Asia.”

Global law firm DLA Piper has 76 offices in 30 countries and over 4,200 lawyers.

Former Linklaters Managing Partner Tony Angel to Join DLA Piper as Co-Global Chairman?

rebneely — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 08:00:40 +0000

Former Linklaters managing partner Tony Angel may join DLA Piper as co-global chairman, if approved by a partnership vote, as early as November 7^th.

According to the October 27^th blog at wsj.com, DLA Piper Borrows Wall Street Model In Search for Co-Chairman”: “…two people familiar with the matter confirmed that DLA’s partnership is poised to approve Angel”.

It is virtually unheard of to appoint someone from outside the law firm to a top leadership position within the firm. However, DLA Piper is known for pushing the envelope, so to speak, and thinking outside the box. In the last six years, under Frank Burch’s leadership, the firm has become the largest in the world.

Peter Zeughauser, a law firm consultant, was quoted as having told Law Blog: “DLA has broken the mold several times since its inception. It’s difficult to draw parallels.” He also referred to Angel as “one of the top players in Europe”.

If approved, Angel would become co-chairman with Burch, who is currently the sole chairman of DLA Piper. As well, he would become the senior partner of DLA Piper International, which encompasses DLA’s operations in Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

Currently, Angel serves as a non-executive director at SJ Berwin in London.

From 1998 to 2008, Angel served as managing partner at Linklaters. He is given significant credit for assisting with the transformation of the firm into a leading global force. According to the wsj.com blog, according to Legal Week, “he pushed hard to boost individual partner performance and align the firm’s business around premium work for a tighter group of blue-chip clients.”

And, according to the October 26^th article at thomsonreuters.com, “DLA Piper voting on hiring Tony Angel as co-global chairman”, under Angel’s leadership, Linklaters became one of the most profitable law firms ever, boasting annual revenues of over $2 billion and profits per partner of $2.4 million, according to The American Lawyer magazine. That was an increase in profits of nearly 110% over a three year period, which surpassed those of Skadden, as well as Davis Polk.

Most recently, Angel held the position of chief executive at Vantage Diagnostics, a London-based health-care data company. Before joining Vantage, Angel served as the executive managing director at Standard & Poor’s. in that role, he was in charge of the company’s Europe, Middle East and Africa business.

Clearly, Angel is a force with which to be reckoned. With Burch and Angel at the helm, DLA Piper could well be poised for powerhouse status.

Linklaters LLP is a global law firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom and a member of the ‘Magic Circle’ of leading UK law firms. The firm is the world’s fourth largest global law firm by revenue. The firm employs approximately 2,200 legal advisers and 2,800 additional staff in 26 offices in 19 countries.

DLA Piper is a global law firm with 76 offices in 30 countries and over 4,200 lawyers. As of May 2011, it was the largest law firm in the world by number of attorneys. Two partnerships comprise the firm – DLA Piper International, and DLA Piper U.S. the firm’s clients include multinational, Global 1,000 and Fortune 500 companies, to emerging high-tech companies and start-ups.

Baker & McKenzie Enters Turkey Market Via Exclusive Relationship with Turkish Law Firm

rebneely — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 08:00:37 +0000

Leading global law firm Baker & McKenzie has announced it has entered into an exclusive relationship with leading Turkish law firm Esin Attorney Partnership (Esin Avukatlık Ortaklığı).

The move follows ever increasing client interest and activity in Turkey, which is one of the world’s fastest growing economies. The relationship will also serve to strengthen the firm’s global reach and client offerings.

Eduardo Leite, Chairman of Baker & McKenzie’s Executive Committee was quoted as saying in a press release at the firm’s site: “Istanbul is an increasingly important hub for global business. By entering into an exclusive arrangement with one of Istanbul’s leading law firms we are underlining our commitment to being able to serve our clients in those markets in which they are growing their businesses, while strengthening our ability to help Turkish clients take advantage of the opportunities beyond their borders.”

By working in an exclusive consultancy arrangement with Esin Attorney Partnership, clients of Baker & McKenzie will have access to the full-service, international and foreign law advice of the world’s leading global law firm and the Turkish law counsel of one of the leading law firms in Turkey.

Founded in 1997 by Ismail Esin, Esin has forty lawyers. It was named Legal Adviser of the Year in Turkey at the European M&A Awards 2010 by the Financial Times and MergerMarket and ranked in Tier 1 for M&A in legal directory The Legal 500. Its practices include Corporate and M&A, Real Estate, Dispute Resolution and Competition law.

Koen Vanhaerents, European Chairman and member of the Firm’s Executive Committee was quoted as saying: “It has become increasingly clear that Turkey is rapidly growing in importance for our clients. This exclusive relationship with Esin Attorney Partnership, provides our clients with access to the very best legal services in Turkey.”

This move follows Baker & McKenzie’s continuing expansion. In May of this year, the firm opened an office in Qatar, in October 2010, in Luxembourg in and in 2009, in Abu Dhabi.

According to the October 27th article at amlawdaily.com, “Baker Moves Into Turkish Market by Teaming With Istanbul Firm”, several other prominent law firms have opened offices in Turkey, including Clifford Chance, DLA Piper, White & Case, and Chadbourne & Parke.

Also according to the article, Bloomberg reported the Turkish economy grew 8.8 percent in the second quarter of 2011; that is over four times the rate of the euro zone. Bloomberg also reported the Turkish deal market is far outpacing that of the emerging markets.

Founded in 1949 in Chicago, Baker & McKenzie has over 3,800 lawyers in almost 70 offices in 41 different countries. The firm has more leading lawyers in more countries in the Chambers Global Directory than any other global Top 20 law firm. Additionally, Chambers lists 19 of the firm’s practices in its global rankings of the world’s leading practices.

Paul Ceglia Suing Facebook, Claiming he has Contract Entitling him to 50% of Facebook

EmploymentCrossing — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 23:37:50 +0000

Paul Ceglia has claimed he has a contract with Mark Zuckerberg for half of Facebook. Facebook’s lawyers at Gibson Dunn have filed for an expedited discovery hoping to land Ceglia in criminal court. Gibson Dunn claim they have discovered a land scam that Ceglia has been running for years and have also remind people of his previous drug and fraud convictions. Representing Ceglia is DLA Piper, which states there are no facts to base these claims on.

Read the full article here:

Gibson Dunn Hopes To Take A Prisoner in the Facebook Case

Seyfarth Shaw Adds Two Partners to Firm

rebneely — Tue, 10 May 2011 19:05:30 +0000

Seyfarth Shaw LLP has recently added two partners to its firm. Leading labor and employment attorney Wanda Holloway has joined as a partner in the Houston office, and Steven Fein has joined the firm as a partner in the Los Angeles office.

Holloway has significant experience working with major multi-national clients on strategic employment and labor law initiatives, nationwide litigation and global risk management/compliance, and day-to-day challenges. She has experience both as trusted outside counsel to major clients in a variety of industries and as in-house counsel for Fortune 50 companies. She joins Seyfarth from Littler Mendelson, P.C.

Lisa J. Damon, chair of Seyfarth Shaw’s Labor & Employment department was quoted as saying in a press release at the firm’s website: “Wanda Holloway is an all-star among labor and employment attorneys and we welcome her to the Seyfarth team. Wanda adds extra depth to our already leading national Labor & Employment department with her vast experience and great outcomes for major clients facing a host of litigation challenges and employment issues.”

Steven Fein specializes in commercial real estate lending and in representing funds and advisors to real estate funds on equity investments in real estate. He joins the firm from DLA Piper.

He has extensive experience in a wide range of commercial real estate transactions, including the formation of joint ventures and their equity investments, lending arrangements, acquisitions, and dispositions as well as workouts and restructurings. He represents institutional investors, pension funds, commercial banks and private investors, both U.S. and foreign-based. He has represented clients in mezzanine, permanent and bridge loan transactions, construction financings and preferred equity investments.

Paul P. Mattingly, chair of Seyfarth Shaw’s Real Estate department was quoted as saying in a press release at the firm’s website: “As transactional activity starts returning to pre-recession levels, this is the perfect time to add a real estate professional of Steven Fein’s caliber. We are seeing a significant uptick in sales, investments, lending and development deals, not to mention the remaining opportunities in distressed assets. Steven bolsters our real estate practice and creates an experienced and deep roster for institutional clients doing business in California as well as nationally.”

Seyfarth Shaw has over 750 attorneys located in 10 offices throughout the United States. The firm provides a broad range of legal services in the areas of labor and employment, employee benefits, litigation, corporate, and real estate.

DLA Piper Open for Business in Australia

rebneely — Tue, 03 May 2011 10:57:57 +0000

Following the integration of DLA Phillips Fox (Australia) and DLA Piper, DLA Piper is now open for business in Australia.

DLA Piper in Australia is a full service business law firm with the ability to provide clients with a broad variety of services across five capital cities nationally, and 11 offices throughout Asia-Pacific.

In Asia-Pacific, DLA Piper has more than 700 lawyers operating out of offices located in Bangkok, Beijing, Brisbane, Canberra, Hong Kong, Melbourne, Perth, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney and Tokyo.

Globally, DLA Piper now has 4,200 lawyers operating in 76 offices in 30 countries. The group also has alliances with firms in an additional 17 countries.

Managing Partner for Australia Tony Holland was quoted as saying in a press release at the firm’s website: “Our clients are at the centre of everything we do and we are dedicated to supporting them and helping them to do business. We believe this is a significant day for the Australian legal market. We are adding real value by offering a comprehensive range of legal services across a truly national and truly international footprint. Integration has already enhanced our ability to compete for work in the region. Our new positioning in the market has been welcomed by our clients and is attractive to prospective clients, as demonstrated by our recent appointment to the panel of a major international investment bank.”

DLA Piper represents more clients in a broader range of geographies and practice disciplines than virtually any other law firm in the world.

DLA Piper Adds Team of 10 Leading Litigation Attorneys in Sacramento Office

rebneely — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 10:27:45 +0000

Effective May 1^st, a team of 10 lawyers will join DLA Piper’s Litigation practice in the Sacramento office.

The attorneys hail from the premier litigation firm Stevens, O’Connell & Jacobs LLP, and include co-founders and former U.S. Attorneys Charles J. Stevens and George L. O’Connell, and partners Matthew G. Jacobs and Bradley A. Benbrook. The attorneys have a broad range of experience in internal investigative, white collar criminal defense, special matters, and civil litigation.

J. Terence O’Malley, DLA Piper US Managing Partner was quoted as saying in a press release at the firm’s website: “Chuck, Matt, Brad, George and their team add immediate depth on the West Coast to our already leading global white collar and government and internal investigations practice. They are highly regarded throughout Northern California and bring an unmatched level of notable experience and credentials to the firm.”

Stevens was President Clinton’s appointee as US Attorney for the Eastern District of California and previously served as an Assistant US Attorney in Los Angeles. Before co-founding Stevens, O’Connell & Jacobs, he was partner in charge of the Sacramento office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP.

O’Connell joins DLA Piper as senior counsel. He was President George H.W. Bush’s appointee as US Attorney for the Eastern District of California from 1991 until 1993. Prior to serving in this role, he served as an Assistant US Attorney in the Eastern District and headed the Special Prosecutions Unit. Previously, he served as an Assistant US Attorney in the Special Prosecutions Unit of the Los Angeles US Attorney’s Office and in the Sacramento US Attorney’s Office as Chief of the White Collar Crime Unit.

Jacobs returns to DLA Piper after joining Stevens, O’Connell & Jacobs in 2008. Formerly, he served as First Assistant US Attorney and Chief of the Criminal Division of the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California; Chief of the Special Prosecutions Unit of that office; and Honors Graduate Trial Attorney in the US Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division in Washington, DC.

DLA Piper has 3,500 lawyers in offices throughout the world, and represents more clients in a broader range of geographies and practice disciplines than almost any other law firm in the world.

W.P. Carey Foundation Announces Gift of $30 Million to University of Maryland’s School of Law

rebneely — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 13:04:48 +0000

The W. P. Carey Foundation announced a gift of $30 million to the University of Maryland’s School of Law. Not only is the gift the largest in the school’s history, but it is one of the largest in the history of the University system of Maryland. Additionally, the gift ranks among the top ten largest gifts ever given to any law school.

The gift of money will help the School of Law to bolster its programs, in particular in faculty support, as well as helping to increase the School’s endowment. Also, the University of Maryland has committed to raising $15 million to support the School of Law.

W. P. Carey Foundation founder William Polk Carey was quoted as saying in a PR Newswire press release that: “This gift represents the Carey family’s educational and philanthropic legacy in the great state of Maryland and helps us honor family members who dedicated their lives and careers to education, to civic duty and many to the legal profession itself. It is our hope that with this gift, the University of Maryland School of Law will continue its tradition of graduating students who make a special contribution to the business world—like my grandfather and his brother did.”

The School of Law will be named the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law after W. P. Carey’s grandfather who is a graduate of the law school from the class of 1880, and co-founder of what is now the biggest law firm in the world: DLA Piper, formerly Carey, Piper and Hall.

University of Maryland School of Law Dean Phoebe A. Haddon was quoted as saying: “This extraordinary gift will support the school’s dedication to providing a world class education. Our program has a rising national reputation for excellence and it is our hope that this gift will engage and strengthen the School of Law and the University System of Maryland overall as we continue to graduate the best and brightest students.”

The W. P. Carey Foundation is a private U.S. foundation, incorporated in 1988 by William Polk Carey. The foundation’s mission is to support educational institutions with the bigger goal of improving America’s competitiveness in the world, and its main focus is to support schools, universities, and other programs with an affiliation with the Carey family.

Perkins Coie Adds Five Attorneys to Environment, Energy & Resources Practice

rebneely — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 13:14:44 +0000

Perkins Coie has added five attorneys to its Environment, Energy & Resources practice.

Julie Jones joins as partner, Marie Cooper joins as Of Counsel and Alan Murphy joins as associate, all in the firm’s San Francisco office. Robert Thibault joins as partner in the firm’s Denver office, and LeAnn Johnson Koch joins as partner in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office.

Tom Lindley, Environment, Energy & Resources Chair was quoted as saying in the press release at the firm’s website: “We are very pleased to welcome these talented attorneys. Their capabilities are a terrific complement to our existing premier EER practice and will serve as an invaluable resource to our clients.”

Jones offers counsel on, as well as litigating, issues involving the California Environmental Quality Act, the Planning and Zoning Law, the National Environmental Policy Act, the Coastal Zone Management Act and a host of other California and federal statutes and common law doctrines affecting land use.

Thibault, who joins from Patton Boggs, focuses his practice on energy law and commercial litigation matters, emphasizing domestic and international oil and gas transactions as well as oil and gas, environmental, and administrative agency litigation.

With two decades of experience, Johnson Koch joins from DLA Piper, and represents the petroleum refining industry and other energy sector clients on environmental compliance, enforcement, permitting, transactions and emergencies, with a special emphasis on the Clean Air Act and its related requirements.

With more than 700 lawyers in 18 offices across the United States and in China, Perkins Coie represents great companies across a wide range of industries and stages of growth—from start-ups to FORTUNE 100 corporations.

Facebook ‘Faces’ Off with DLA Piper

rebneely — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 13:45:52 +0000

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is ‘facing’ off with New York businessman, Paul Ceglia, who’s represented by powerhouse law firm DLA Piper.

According to Ceglia, he owns 50 percent of the wildly popular social networking site, Facebook, and that Zuckerberg defrauded him.

He has the backing of DLA Piper, which is confident that the evidence he has presented is genuine.

Ceglia filed a lawsuit against Zuckerberg and Facebook in July, alleging he had paid Zuckerberg for some web development work and invested $1,000 in the then nascent Facebook in exchange for 50 percent of the business. A previous complaint alleged he owned 84% of the company. According to the April 13^th article at ukibtimes.com, DLA Piper spent weeks examining the evidence, which includes emails between Ceglia and Zuckerberg, and they are confident they are genuine.

Orin Snyder, an attorney at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, was quoted as saying in – ironically – an emailed statement: “This is a fraudulent lawsuit brought by a convicted felon, and we look forward to defending it in court. From the outset, we’ve said that this scam artist’s claims are ridiculous and this newest complaint is no better.”

Ambassador Jeffrey Davidow Joins The Cohen Group

rebneely — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 10:43:34 +0000

Ambassador Jeffrey Davidow, former Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for African Affairs and U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, Venezuela, and Zambia, has joined The Cohen Group as a Senior Counselor.

The move will strengthen the Latin American practice of TCG, as well as further the firm’s expertise in Africa.

During his 30 plus year career, Ambassador Davidow became one of America’s most senior and well-respected diplomats in the Foreign Service. He retired in 2003 with the rank of Career Ambassador, the highest position in the Foreign Service which, by law, can be held by no more than five individuals at one time.

Since then, he has been President of the Institute of the Americas, a leading think tank addressing Latin American-U.S.-Canadian political, economic, business and social issues. In 2009, at President Obama’s request, he left the Institute to organize and be presidential advisor for the Summit of the Americas.

The Cohen Group, led by former Secretary of Defense William Cohen, is comprised of more than 50 professionals with many decades of combined experience working in top level positions in Congress, the White House, the State Department, the Defense Department, the Department of Homeland Security, the intelligence community, other federal agencies, and in European and Asian governments, international organizations and the private sector.

With offices in Washington, London, Beijing, Tianjin, and New Delhi, The Cohen Group provides its clients the insights and intelligence needed to better understand and shape the business, political, legal, regulatory, and media environments in which they operate.

The Cohen Group also has a strong strategic partnership with DLA Piper, an international law firm with over 3,500 lawyers throughout the world.

DLA Piper Continues Expansion of Miami Office

rebneely — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 13:12:10 +0000

DLA Piper expanded its Miami, Florida office recently with the addition of five prominent lawyers with significant global practices, all formerly partners at Hunton & Williams LLP.

Carlos Loumiet, and John Haley have joined the firm as partners in the firm’s Corporate practice, Craig Rasile and Andrew Zaron as partners in the Bankruptcy practice and Michael Silva as a partner in the Tax practice.

Loumiet was previously partner and co-chair of the Hunton & Williams’ International practice group. Loumiet focuses his practice on the business and financial services fields domestically and abroad.

John Haley was a partner in Hunton & Williams’ International practice group and has represented clients in cross-border transactions and domestic transactional matters.

Roger Meltzer, Global Chair of DLA Piper’s Corporate and Finance practice was quoted as saying in a press release at the firm’s website: “Carlos and John’s sophisticated international practice base matches well with our global platform and helps further strengthen our capabilities in a number of regions around the globe, particularly Latin America.”

Craig Rasile was co-chair of the Bankruptcy, Restructuring and Creditors’ Rights practice at Hunton & Williams and has represented clients in bankruptcy matters in a wide variety of industries.

Andrew Zaron was formerly a partner in Hunton & Williams’ Bankruptcy practice. He focuses on the areas of bankruptcy, workouts, debt restructuring, corporate reorganization and creditors’ rights.

Michael Silva was a tax & ERISA partner and head of Hunton & Williams’ International Private Wealth Advisors practice. He focuses his practice on international tax law.

DLA Piper has 3,500 lawyers in offices throughout Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and the United States.

DLA Piper Opens Office in Delaware

rebneely — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 16:45:24 +0000

In recent weeks, DLA Piper announced the opening of an office in Wilmington, Delaware.

Five partners join the office from Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge LLP. They are Stuart M. Brown, Selinda A. Melnik and R. Craig Martin, who will join the Restructuring practice, John L. Reed who joins the Corporate and Litigation practices, and Denise Seastone Kraft, who joins the Litigation and Intellectual Property and Technology practices.

Brown, who will serve as managing partner of DLA Piper’s Wilmington office, is the former head of EAPD’s Wilmington office and former chair of its Restructuring & Insolvency Department.

Reed is listed in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business for his corporate law and litigation practice before the Delaware Court of Chancery and Delaware Supreme Court.

Kraft is the former co-chair of EAPD’s US Commercial Litigation practice group.

Melnik is listed in peer review publications as a leading international insolvency law specialist and is the founder of the International Women’s Insolvency and Restructuring Confederation.

Martin is a Fellow of INSOL International, the International Association of Restructuring, Insolvency & Bankruptcy Professionals.

Francis B. Burch, Jr., Global Chairman of DLA Piper was quoted as saying in the press release at the firm’s website that: “Delaware is home to many of our largest corporate clients and as the legal market in Wilmington has grown, we have had to regularly engage the services of local counsel given the local practice requirements. For this reason, and with the recent expansion of our Restructuring, Corporate and Litigation practices, including the arrivals of Rick Chesley, Jamie Wareham and Laura Flippin, we believe the timing is right for DLA Piper to expand into the Delaware market.”

These partners are joined by former EAPD associates Paul D. Brown, Michelle Marino, Cynthia Moh, K. Tyler O’Connell and Aleine M. Porterfield.

DLA Piper today has 3,500 lawyers in offices throughout Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the United States. The firm represents more clients in a broader range of geographies and practice disciplines than virtually any other law firm in the world.

Morning Roundup

joshua — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 11:57:02 +0000

Good morning everyone! Today is Wednesday, March 2, and this is a quick look back at this week’s news…

The partnership has approved DLA Piper’s merger with its Australian partner…

Congress has reached a deal to temporarily avoid a shutdown…

Democrats in Congress have introduced an ethics bill that would cover the Supreme Court…

Barnes & Thornburg is entering the LA market…

and Gibson Dunn had a record breaking year in 2010…

DLA Piper Australian Merger Finalized

joshua — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 21:17:11 +0000

As we reported at the end of January, DLA Piper and Australian firm DLA Phillips Fox are preparing to upgrade their relationship from a partnership to a full fledged merger. The partnerships of both firms completed the voting this week and the merger has been approved. DLA Phillips Fox will become a financially integrated part of DLA Piper’s International LLP as of May 1st.

DLA Phillips Fox New Zealand is not part of the merger but will retain its exclusive referral arrangement with DLA Piper.

This merger will make DLA Piper the world’s largest law firm by number of attorneys with over 4100 lawyers in 75 offices across 30 countries.

Morning Update

joshua — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 16:55:57 +0000

Good morning everyone! Today is Monday, February 21. Today we celebrate the lives of George Washington and Abraham Lincolns and by extension 235 years of history. Here’s a quick look bat at Friday’s news…

DLA Piper is opening up in Miami…

UK firm Emmets is adding 100 positions…

and The California Bar Association is asking US News and World Report to add a diversity category to its law school rankings…

DLA Piper is Moving in to Miami

joshua — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 16:41:52 +0000

Season 6 of Dexter is still months away and I’m suffering from withdrawals. So much so that the first thought that ran through my head when I learned that DLA Piper is opening a Miami office was “Good, now Dexter has more options if he gets caught”. It’s going to be a long summer.

Unfortunately for my favorite blood spatter analyst/serial killer, DLA Piper’s new office will not be focusing on criminal defense, but rather is part of the firm’s strategic plan for Latin America and will open in conjunction with an office in Caracas, Venezuela.

The Miami office will be opened with international arbitration lawyers Pedro J. Martinez-Fraga and C. Ryan Reetz, both of whom will join the firm on March 1 from Squire Sanders & Dempsey. In Caracas, DLA Piper has reached an agreement with InterJuris Abogados SC, who will now operate as DLA InterJuris Abogados.

Morning Roundup

joshua — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 15:35:46 +0000

Good morning everyone! Today is Thursday, February 10, and here’s a look back at yesterday’s news…

South Carolina is debating a law to punish inmates for belonging to social networking sites…

Locke Lord’s revenues were flat in 2010…

Proft and revenues were up at DLA Piper last year…

Dewey & LeBoeuf added a large bankruptcy team from an LA Boutique…

and Pillsbury picked up a real estate team from Orrick…

Revenue and Profit up at DLA Piper

joshua — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 18:07:11 +0000

The US wing of DLA Piper made a clean sweep of the financial pages with revenues, profit per parter, profit margin and revenue per lawyer all ticking up in 2010. This follows a poor showing in 2009 when DLA Piper’s revenues dropped 14%.

Because DLA Piper is set up as a verein under Swiss law, its financial reports distinguish between its US arm and international offices. The recent wave of transatlantic mergers has made this type of corporate structure more common among multinational firms, such as Hogan Lovells and Baker & McKenzie.

DLA Piper was itself the result of a three way transatlantic merger in 2005, and this years $1.38 million profit per partner in the US is its highest result since that merger.

Egypt Report

joshua — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 01:43:15 +0000

We have some fresh news out of Cairo, from DLA Matouk Bassiouny. First the good news – everyone is safe and in good health. The Cairo office is open again with limited hours and will return to normal hours once the curfew has been lifted.

They have also passed on a few other bits of information:

- While central Cairo remains the focal point of the Government opposition’s sustained protest campaign, well-attended gatherings have taken place in recent days in a number of other cities in Egypt.

- The level of violence has reduced considerably over the last 24-48 hours but the situation remains fluid and renewed violence between rival political factions is possible.

- Internet and mobile telephone networks are now functional although some problems remain with landlines and text messages which are subject to periodic disruption.

- Many bank branches have resumed activity from 10.00 to 13.30 local time and many shops and businesses have reopened for the first time since the protests gained intensity.

- The stock exchange will not reopen on 7 February as previously announced.

DLA Matouk Bassiouny is the Egyptian affiliate of DLA Piper.

BigLaw Closes Shop in Egypt

joshua — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 23:22:22 +0000

Egypt is the 16th largest country in the world by population with 80 million people, but it is underrepresented by top law firms. DLA Piper and Baker & McKenzie both have offices in Cairo, and both have shut down operations for the moment. Most businesses in Cairo remain closed as the protests grow both in size and intensity.

Things took a bad turn today when pro government counter demonstrators took to the streets, sparking violent clashes that left at least one man dead and several hundred wounded. The Egyptian army, the most modern army in the Arab world, remained on the sidelines yet again, allowing the protesters to fight it out among themselves.

Weekend Review

joshua — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 15:59:18 +0000

Good morning everyone! Today is Monday, January 31, and here’s a quick look back at the end of last week…

Greenberg Traurig terminated a partner caught up in an SEC proceeding…

Kaye Scholer added a partner from Reed Smith…

Patton Boggs increased revenues and profits in 2010…

and DLA Piper is getting set to merge with its Australian partner, DLA Phillips Fox…

DLA Piper to Merge with Australian Alliance Partner DLA Phillips Fox

marvins — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 00:25:41 +0000

DLA Piper is set to become the world’s largest law firm by number of attorneys once its merger deal with DLA Phillips Fox, a trans-Tasman law firm and DLA Piper’s Australian alliance partner, is sealed. The merger is part of DLA Piper’s plan for bolstering its worldwide presence, particularly in Asia. The two firms are discussing the merger details as of now, and are expected to finalize the details by February.

DLA Piper explained that Australia offers an attractive path to enter the Asian market. In 2010, Allen & Overy launched two Australian law firm offices to boosts its presence in cross-border Asia-Australia deals. In 2008, Clifford Chance also explored a merger deal with Mallesons Stephen Jaques, one of Australia’s legal giants. Once the merger is set, DLA Piper will have over 4,000 lawyers throughout its worldwide operations, becoming one of the top law firms in Australia and the largest in the world.

Alistair Da Costa, DLA Piper’s Asia managing director, said that the new merger deal is proof that DLA Piper is aggressive enough to have a strong presence in Asia. DLA Piper has already successfully set up its operations in Asian cities such as Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai and Tokyo.

McKenna Long & Aldridge to Include Psychological Test as Part of its Hiring Process

marvins — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 00:21:16 +0000

McKenna Long & Aldridge, an leading international law firm with more than 475 lawyers, announced that aside from grades, law review note, or Dalai Lama internship, the firm is now including another step in its hiring process- a psychological test. McKenna is now taking the recruitment process to a whole new level by employing a psychological test. McKenna is now requiring their potential associates to undergo a psychological test as part of the firm’s callbacks. Aside from the usual behavioral questions, the firm wants their new recruits to take psychological test to asses their psychological makeup.

Jennifer Queen, the firm’s head of recruiting and development, explained that the main reason behind it is the fact that they want to invest in the right people. “We started looking into [how we hire associates] back in 2007 when the salary increases hit. The salary was at $160,000 in D.C., and there were rumors that it might go to $180,000. That’s serious money. We’re a business, and want to invest in candidates the right way.”

Queen added that those who want to be part of McKenna will have to go through the new hiring model. “There’s the on-campus interview, where we look at the package of grades and experience. For the callback, we ask for a writing sample, and we ask candidates to do an online assessment test that takes 30 minutes. Then they come in, and lawyers are designated to ask certain questions-like “Tell me about the time you shared credit for an accomplishment,” or “the time you worked with someone you had a disagreement with.”

Morning Roundup

joshua — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 00:09:37 +0000

Good morning everybody! Today is Wednesday, November 10th. Here’s a look back at yesterday’s stories.

DLA Piper announced Henry Koda and William L. Androlia joined the firm’s Intellectual Property and Technology (IPT) practice as Senior Counsel in Tokyo and Los Angeles…

Greenberg Traurig shareholder William R. Clayton was chosen for fellowship in the Litigation Counsel of America…

Sheppard Mullin added five attorneys to its Labor and Employment Practice group…

Six Jones Walker attorneys based in Louisiana have been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America 2011 as “Lawyers of the Year”…

Eight partners fromThompson Hine were named “Leading Lawyers” for 2010 by Inside Business Magazine…

Perkins Coie launched an investment management group in its Washington D.C. office…

Renowned Patent Lawyers Henry Koda and William L. Androlia Join Tokyo and Los Angeles Offices of DLA Piper

joshua — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 23:42:12 +0000

DLA Piper announced today Henry Koda and William L. Androlia have joined the firm’s Intellectual Property and Technology (IPT) practice as Senior Counsel in Tokyo and Los Angeles. They join from Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP.

Koda, a Japanese authority on US patent law who has written 15 books and over 150 articles, opened Quinn Emmanuel’s Tokyo office and is now Manager of the Tokyo Intellectual Property Group at DLA Piper. His practice focuses on patent litigation/prosecution, and includes all aspects of international trade practice and high technology patent practice.

William L. Androlia was previously an electronic engineer working on communication satellites and deep space vehicles at Philco-Ford Space and Reentry Systems. He also served as an officer in the US Army Signal Corps and worked on the General Staff at Redstone Arsenal managing Army Missile Systems. Androlia is an adjunct professor of US patent law at Pepperdine University Law School. He is a member of the American Bar Association, the Los Angeles County Patent Law Association and the US Patent Bar. He is also admitted to practice before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court.

In the press release at the firm’s website, J. Terence O’Malley, DLA Piper US Managing Partner, was quoted as saying: “Henry and Bill have built a thriving patent litigation, prosecution and counseling practice over the 30 years they have worked together, and their unrivaled knowledge and experience will greatly benefit our clients in US-Japan patent matters. Their arrival underscores that DLA Piper is one of few firms that can offer clients world-class lawyers nearly anywhere in the world where they do business, and provide practitioners the resources they need to seamlessly serve their multi-national clients.”

DLA Piper’s global Intellectual Property and Technology practice offers clients comprehensive IP services, including patent, trademark, copyright and trade secrets litigation; patent and trademark prosecution, licensing; IP due diligence; and strategic IP asset management. With nearly 400 IP lawyers in 48 cities and 22 countries, the team ranks among the largest IP and technology practices in the world. DLA Piper’s Patent Litigation practice in the US alone includes more than 80 lawyers.

Morning Roundup

joshua — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 13:04:22 +0000

Good morning everyone! Today is Tuesday, November 2nd. Here’s a quick look back at yesterday’s stories.

DLA Piper added three attorneys as partners in the litigation practice of its New Jersey office…

Goodwin Procter elected 12 attorneys to the firm’s partnership…

Crowell & Moring added two attorneys to its environmental practice…

DLA Piper Bolsters New Jersey Litigation Practice

joshua — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 16:59:52 +0000

DLA Piper has added John Pendleton, Andrew Bunn and Katie Gummer as partners in the litigation practice of its New Jersey office. The team comes to the firm from McCarter & English.

Pendleton focuses his practice on banking and financial services litigation, regularly representing both public and private companies. Bunn has represented clients in civil litigations, including: sales practices, ERISA, financial instruments, managed care and regulatory disputes. Gummer has represented leaders in the financial services industry, including life and health insurance companies.

“John, Andy and Katie bring with them a range of experience in representing leaders in finance, healthcare and insurance,” said Michael Helmer Co-Managing Partner of DLA Piper’s New Jersey office. “This addition will serve to support our recent expansion into Florham Park and bolster the firm’s capabilities as we continue to service the increasing needs of our clients and expand our client base in New Jersey.”

“With the growing number of commercial litigation opportunities in New Jersey, these lawyers will strengthen our presence and bolster our strong bench of litigators in the region,” said Joe Finnerty, East Coast Chairman of the U.S. Litigation practice.

With over 1,400 dispute resolution lawyers globally, DLA Piper’s Litigation practice collaborates with clients and counterparts to identify and execute the most advantageous business-oriented solutions. Lawyers in the Litigation practice represent clients in complex, multi-jurisdictional disputes in numerous areas and across multiple platforms.

Morning Roundup

joshua — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 14:25:59 +0000

Good morning everyone! Today is Thursday, October 28th. Here’s a quick look back at yesterday’s stories.

Baker & McKenzie was slapped with a $103 million malpractice verdict by a Mississippi jury…

Four attorneys at Milberg LLP were selected for the 2010 Top Attorneys List by legal media company Lawdragon…

Sidley Austin’s Michelle Illene Ruiz, a partner in the firm’s Chicago office, was honored at The Anti-Defamation League’s 3^rd Annual Rising Star Awards Luncheon…

Renowned mediation attorney Kenneth R. Feinberg headlined the ILR Summit…

DLA Piper announced that Stéphane Lemarchand will join its Intellectual Property and Technology practice in Paris as a partner in the beginning of November…

DLA Piper Hires Team of IT Lawyers from Bird & Bird’s Paris Base

joshua — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 17:48:52 +0000

Today, DLA Piper announced that Stéphane Lemarchand will join its Intellectual Property and Technology practice in Paris as a partner in the beginning of November. He will join with a team of four associates from Bird & Bird.

Stéphane is a renowned specialist in IT and ecommerce law, with a transactional and litigation practice. His specialty is advising IT service providers on litigation matters, strategic project outsourcing and cross-border transactions.

Prior to joining DLA Piper, Stéphane was a partner at Bird & Bird for 10 years. During that time, he led the IT practice in Paris, and was also joint head of the international IT sector and the Outsourcing practice group.

In the article at legalweek.com, DLA global co-head of IP and IT Simon Levine was quoted as saying: “What we have been trying to do is build our group as a whole in Europe so that we have a full service offering in intellectual property, IT and media/sport. We wanted to make some headway in those areas that have a particularly strong market offering and Paris was one of the primary candidates with a lot of client demand for technology and outsourcing work. We will be looking to grow further over the coming months, particularly in areas of mainland Europe such as Spain and Central and Eastern Europe.”

DLA Piper today has 3,500 lawyers in offices throughout Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the United States. The firm’s clients range from multinational, Global 1000, and Fortune 500 enterprises to emerging companies developing industry-leading technologies.

Morning Roundup

joshua — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 11:09:15 +0000

Good morning everybody! Today is Thursday, October 14th. Here’s a quick look back at yesterday’s stories.

White & Case promoted 35 attorneys from around the world to its partnership…

DLA Piper snagged a co-managing shareholder from Greenberg Traurig…

Thompson Hine partner Kip T. Bollin was installed as president of the Northern District of Ohio Chapter of the Federal Bar Association…

Nixon Peabody’s senior strategic policy advisor Thomas Reynolds, a former U.S. Congressman from New York, was appointed head of the firm’s government relations and public policy practice…

Peter B. Pope, a former head of New York State Attorney General Office’s Criminal Division, joined Jenner & Block’s New York office as a partner…

DLA Piper Snags Practice Head from Greenberg Traurig

joshua — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 18:18:20 +0000

DLA Piper has a new chair of its defense and government services transactional practice in Washington D.C. Taking over the position is Jeffrey R. Houle, who joins the firm from Greenberg Traurig, where he was co-managing shareholder of that firm’s Northern Virginia office and chair of its regional corporate practice group.

Houle represents middle market and Fortune 500 companies on merger and acquisition and financing transactions in a wide variety of industries impacted by government policy and regulation, including government and defense contractors, energy, technology, mining and mineral extraction, telecommunications, financial services, and manufacturing.

“Jeff is a nationally recognized, seasoned practitioner with a deep pool of contacts and client relationships within the government services and defense contractor areas,” said Jay Smith, co-chair of DLA Piper’s Corporate and Finance practice. “DLA Piper’s global platform is a good match for Jeff’s practice, and his arrival will undoubtedly bolster our already strong corporate group in the US and internationally.”

Houle has served on the board of directors and advisory boards of numerous companies, private equity funds and investment banking firms, as well as the Washington D.C. Technology Council.

DLA Piper has 3,500 attorneys in 30 countries and 69 offices throughout the US, UK, Continental Europe, Middle East and Asia.

Morning Roundup

joshua — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 16:07:51 +0000

Good morning everyone! Today is Friday, September 17th. Here’s a quick look back at yesterday’s stories.

Dickie, McCamey & Chilcote was ranked among the top firms in Pittsburgh by U.S. News & World Report…

The Latin Builders Association (LBA) named international law firm Greenberg Traurig its 2010 “Law Firm of the Year”…

Sidley Austin topped all law firms in the inaugural U.S. News “Best Law Firms Survey”…

DLA Piper added two attorneys to its San Francisco office…

Sidley Austin named former Clifford Chance partner co-head of its capital markets group in London…

U.S. News Media Group and Best Lawyers released the 2010 Best Law Firms Rankings…