19 September 2025 • 3 minute read

DLA Piper named by the Financial Times as second most innovative law firm in Europe

The Financial Times (FT) Innovative Lawyers: Europe Report, published today, has ranked DLA Piper as the second most innovative law firm in Europe.

The index is based on detailed submissions on innovation in client mandates, platforms and people, with the FT's judging panel breaking down the scores into four categories: innovation, digital capabilities, people, and social responsibility. Scoring firms out of a possible 100 points, DLA Piper was awarded 94.5 points.

The awards, which accompany the index, recognised the firm in multiple categories, with the panel:

Naming the firm's work on Grant Thornton's UK-first private equity financing, led by Corporate partner Chris Arnold, as a 'Standout Deal' of the year;
Highly commending the firm's AI-augmented high-stakes negotiation training programme, Advanced Negotiations and Structuring Academy intelligence (ANSAi), created by Fred Lindblom, Projects partner in the firm's Finance practice;
Highly commending DLA Piper for its proprietary AI-powered pricing platform Sage: M&A; and
Recognising Gareth Stokes, Global Co-Chair for Technology, as one of nine 'Intrapreneurs' in the sector for his work in institutionalising AI knowledge across the firm and its client base through collaborative and hands-on training initiatives.

Commenting on the firm's recognition, Charles Severs, International Managing Partner and Global Co-CEO said: "Our continued recognition by the Financial Times is an honour and a fantastic validation of the talent, collaboration and investment that keeps our innovation programme delivering for our people and our clients. From our evolving toolkit of bought and built AI solutions, to unlocking the potential in our deep and data-rich knowledge base, we will continue to futureproof our offering and keep our operations at the cutting edge."

The awards, held in London's Natural History Museum on 18 September, mark the latest in a long-running FT Innovative Lawyer programme.

As the programme celebrates its 20^th year in 2025, DLA Piper was named as one of the world's most innovative firms at a special ceremony in London. Alongside, the firm has been recognised for the last five consecutive years with notable FT Innovative Lawyer award wins, including: