Our History

DLA Piper was created in 2005 by the merger of DLA, Piper Rudnick and Gray Cary, followed by aggressive growth in the CIS, Germany, Spain, Asia, the Middle East and important US markets, among others. The strategy was simple – to create a truly global firm capable of taking care of the most important legal needs of clients wherever they do business, whether the engagement involves seamless coordination across multiple jurisdictions or a discrete project in a single location.

Building strong and substantial client relationships is the compass for DLA Piper’s business strategy and future development. Today, we have 4,200 lawyers in nearly 76 offices in Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and the United States. With a direct presence in 30 countries, we represent more clients in a broader range of geographies and practice areas than virtually any other law firm in the world.

We are grateful for the support of our clients, our people and our communities – all of whom have made it possible for us to celebrate numerous milestones and achievements that are now part of our evolving history. To share a bit of our story with you, we invite you to review our historical timeline, 2005-present. Please use the scrollbar at the bottom to advance the timeline.