Ensuring the success of an international, fully integrated law firm is about convincing first the lawyers employed there, then the clients in each jurisdiction, that a global presence will enhance what the firm has to offer, according to partners at newly integrated firm DLA Piper. “We went through a process of extensive consultation with our partners on an ongoing basis, including a detailed information pack that was presented to partners of both firms,” said Tony Holland, the firm’s Australia managing partner.  “We also provided our staff with briefing sessions, regular integration news updates and a question box email system, so our people knew what to expect."

All of the above measures were necessary, particularly within the Asia Pacific region, to convince the lawyers working at the now 4,200-lawyer firm that integration with Australian firm Phillips Fox would fit with everything the firm as a whole is trying to achieve. “We saw the value and need in Asia-Pacific offices to certainly make people who hadn’t been to Australia or seen benefits, strength of clients, the lawyers, understand how this really fits with what we’re trying to do and how it would benefit the firm overall. That was a journey we had to go through,’ said Alastair Da Costa, managing director, Asia Pacific for DLA Piper.

Working together as partners in an alliance for a number of years was also key to the successful integration of DLA Piper with its Australian alliance partner, DLA Phillips Fox. “While it was great that previously under an alliance partners from each firm got to know each other, now that we are fully integrated, they are really partners,” said Holland.

During the integration process itself, however, a number of lawyers chose not to be part of the DLA Piper group. This is something which the partners were philosophical about and in the end those who wanted to leave weren’t forced to stay. For lawyers thinking about joining a firm with thousands of lawyers world-wide it is worth considering whether a full service international business model is consistent with their current career path and aspirations.

As those who decided not to join the Australian integration, and those who rejected integration from New Zealand based DLA Phillips Fox can attest, the global firm may not be the right fit for every lawyer. “Clearly our model as a firm is not for everyone. We would prefer to have people committed to working for the firm. We have 4,200 lawyers in the firm who seem to like it,” said Andrew Darwin, the firm’s UK based managing director for groups and services.