dla Flashcards
my experiences
- DLA dinner
- Pro bono and XLP
- DLA open day
- vac scheme assessment centre
- vac scheme
advantages/disadvantages of sector vs. practice area
- Sector = industry focused
- Practice area = type of legal work
- Advantages of sector approach
○ More commercially aware - can work in same sector and yet cover various practice areas. More comprehensive knowledge of business as well as law
§ E.g. clients will prefer firm with technology sector than full-service firm
○ Better for broad client advice - can tailor to industry
§ Better for targeting clients
○ Develop broader skill set - different tasks within single sector - Disadvantages
○ Not as full service - cannot cover all sectors
○ Limits clients outside of sectors
vision
○ Aim = to be the leading global business law firm
○ Progressive approach to law - want to redefine structure and approach of traditional law firm
□ Leading firm: measure = recognition by industry magazines, awards etc. or fact that DLA do more deals than any law firm (clients continue to trust firm more than others) □ Global: output is similar across world, global brand □ Business law: not just big ticket deals like with London firms, but also smaller tasks needed by businesses - full service § E.g. General Electric - didn't do big disposal but helped transfer assets etc. § Contracts for Pfizer vaccine
strategy
○ Anti there being a ‘DLA Piper’ person - prioritisation of difference
○ Anti the idea of traditional law firm - progressive
○ Innovative and pragmatic legal solutions
○ Client trust, cross-border and sector knowledge
○ International
4 values
mark franklin, overview of sectors and sector strategy (open day)
- Managing and growing clients
○ Stranger
○ Supplier
○ Preferred supplier
- Advising on business opportunities beyond deal in discussion
- What do clients want?
○ Expertise - they want u to understand the jargon/chain
- How do we deliver this?
□ Differentiate - sectors are key differentiator
□ Industry knowledge - sector knowledge remains most influential driver of favourability towards a firm (Acritas)
□ Reputation = Band 1 by Chambers & Partners in 2020 TMT global category
□ Clients - our clients operate in industries, and think in markets. Selling the full ranger of legal services in a sector generates growth
values
○ Be supportive
○ Be collaborative
○ Be bold
Be exceptional
firm structure
○ Flat hierarchy - prioritisation of voice
○ All they want is people to enjoy their work
Want to redefine structure of traditional law firm
□ Full service □ Multi practice □ Multi jurisdictional □ Want to be there not just for big ticket deals, but also general business advisory □ DLA is there for businesses when they are doing well and when they are doing less well ○ 8 global groups = matric structure □ Group focused □ From a revenue/budgeting perspective ○ Corporate group ○ Employment group ○ Real estate group etc. □ They run down group lines rather than building budget by country basis ○ Financial reportings = down group lines rather than geography ○ One UK approach - Sandra
business leaders awards
○ 195 of DLA lawyers included in Acritas Stars 2019 analysis
○ 2016 - FT ranks them among most innovative firms, 5 consecutive years
locations
○ 40 countries, locally connected through prioritisation of culture
○ 90 offices
○ Africa: Johannesburg and Casablanca
But also has regional focus
practice areas
corporate employment finance, projects and restructuring intellectual property and technology litigation and regulatory real estate tax
sectors
Consumer goods, food and retail Energy and resources Financial services Industrials Infrastructure, construction, transport and logistics insurance life sciences media, sport, entertainment real estate technology
corporate
§ M&A, private equity, public offerings
§ Involved in every stage of deal
§ Acted on more global m&a transactions since 2005 than any other firm
§ First globally in mergermarket in overall m&a deal volume for ninth consecutive year in 2018
§ Award winning PE team - first for EU Buyouts and Exits by volume for second year in 2018
§ Growing equity capital markets practoce
employment
§ Work force challenges, pension law
§ Work with clients on risk and consistency
§ Genie - employment website, advice for 60 countries
§ Compliance focused lawyers
finance, projects and restructuring
§ Financing, asset recovery and political risks of major infrastructure projects
§ Renewable energy, ships and aircraft
§ Only firm with top-tier global defence and security practice
§ Want clients to find ‘commercially sound solutions’ that are tailored to their environment
§ Restructuring: underperforming situations, contentious issues from insolvencies etc.
□ Advise on investigation, enforcement, litigation and asset receovery
□ Clients include shareholders, directors, lenders, debtors
ip and tech
§ Could advise client on trademark portfolio, digital transformation for competitive advantage, cyber security incidents, IP disputes
§ Notify tool - streamlines every aspect of data breach reporting, offers methodology to inform regulators. Commended by FT innovative lawyers awards 2019
§ Strategic sourcing practice - outsourcing advising
§ 130 patent litigators
litigation and regulatory
§ Regulatory, compliance and disputes law
§ Rapid Response global crisis management service - 24 hrs, 365 days for legal advice and crisis assistance
§ Won regulatory and investigations team of year at legal week commercial lit and arb awards 2019
§ Part of firm’s ‘Radical Change’ programme
§ Top 5 firms globally for litigation by Lawyers’ Global Litigation report
§ Globalisation of business = more cross-border disputes. Can do international advising
real estate
§ Real estate investments, planning, financing, development, disposals
§ Real estate team of year in 2018 legal business journal
§ Nearly every client has real estate needs
tax
§ International tax services as well as national advice
§ Transfer Pricing = viewed as strategic and not just compliance exercise
§ Approach has led them to win awards in Transfer Pricing internationally
energy and resourcs
○ Energy and resources - gas and oil companies and alternative energy
§ We are entering an era of unprecedented demand for power generation and transmission, especially within emerging economies. This dynamic, together with the challenges we all face from climate change, is creating new opportunities for alternative energies and new technologies.
§ Focus areas: commodities marketing and trading, mining, oil and gas, power, renewables, water, waste
financial services
○ Financial services - large banking and commercial transactions. Regulatory, public policy and enforcement areas
§ Uncertain economies demand legal strategies that address regulatory and enforcement risks and the costs of compliance.
§ Our clients include asset managers, building societies, capital markets and their participants, investment banks, national regulators, private banks, private equity firms, professional services organizations engaged principally in financial services and retail banks.
tech
○ Technology - IP protection, IPOs. Start ups, bigger companies etc.
§ Fintech, IT and outsourcing, telecommunications, cleantech, AI, blockchain
§ Help startups get organised
§ International tax planning, regulation etc. as businesses grow
§ Related services: data protection, private equity, patent litigation
§ We advise technology companies throughout the business life cycle. We help startups get organized and funded and assist both growing and established technology companies in employment matters, commercial and technology transactions and IP patent protection strategies.
§ Technology’s legal edge (global tech sector blog), techlaw video series, techlaw podcast series, techlaw event series
business services
change and client solutions finance hr information tech legal, risk and compliance marketing and business development property and workplace secretarial services
change and client solutions
§ Want firm and clients to achieve radical change
§ Digital solutions, exceptional solutions
§ New establishment of law firms
§ Radical change = firm-wide initiative, creates new products, insights, revenue streams
§ Legal technology team
§ Legal process improvement team - streamlining processes using Lean Six Sigma methodology
§ Multi-talented teams beyond process improvement and tech teams
general stats on awards
○ #1 for M&A deal volume according to mergermarket 2020
○ #2 for law firm providing value - one of best firms for client service by BTI Consulting Group
○ #3 for global reach - Law 360’s annual global 20
areas of law covered by litigation
○ Antitrust and competition ○ Banking and finance litigation ○ Cybersecurity ○ Investigations ○ IT and Telecoms Disputes ○ Real Estate Litigations ○ Merger control
areas of law covered by corporate
○ Capital markets - public equity and debt capital transactions inc. initial public offerings (IPOs), rights offerings, listings in international markets
○ Emerging growth and venture capital - emerging growth companies and venture capital
○ M&a
○ Private equity - has market knowledge and exposure to help you achieve goals
areas of law covered by IP
○ Advertising, marketing and promotions ○ Cybersecurity ○ Data protection, privacy and security ○ Franchise ○ Patent litigation ○ Tech transactions ○ Trademark and copyright
deals
- DLA Piper and Aldersgate DLS launch TOKO, a fast, secure and cost effective solution for buying and selling high value assets using blockchain technology
- DLA Piper advises Lufthansa Group as main creditor in ZIM Flugsitz insolvency proceedings
- DLA Piper advises Big Four accountancy firm on synthetic corporate PPA
- DLA Piper sponsors 2020 UK Technology Fast 50
○ UK technology fast 50 - programme by Deloitte - DLA Piper launches Real Estate AI/automation platform Release
○ Online portal for real estate clients - manages stages of transaction
○ Dedicated dashboard
○ Reduces document processing time by 90%
DLA Piper advises Mothercare Global Brand Ltd. on relocation of headquarters
