DLA Piper LLP (US) - The Inside View

By many metrics, DLA is one of the world’s largest law firms. Over 4,800 DLA lawyers are spread across 90+ offices worldwide (including relationship firms) which collectively span more than 40 countries. 29 of those offices are in the US, where you’ll find a DLA flag planted in almost every major city. For many of our interviewees, the sheer enormity of the firm's global reach was cited as a key attraction, particularly in areas such as Seattle “where there are few global firms.” 

The firm's roots can be traced back to 2005 when an unprecedented three-way merger took place between West Coast firm Gray Cary Ware & Freidenrich, Baltimore-based Piper Rudnick, and UK-based DLA. At the time, it was the largest merger in the history of the legal sector. Fast-forward 17 years and DLA has as many Chambers USArankings as it does offices. Nationwide, its franchising, investment funds, and retail teams are all considered top-notch. It also has a ton of prestigious state-specific rankings to its name, none more so than in California, New York, and Illinois. For the full regional breakdown, as well as a list of all the firm’s global rankings, go to Chambers.com.  

The Work  

Most of the associates on our list were situated in New York (23), with Chicago (17), and DC(13), being the only other offices to house more than 10 associates. The remaining associates were spread across 18 other offices spanning the length of the country. Despite the devolved distribution, formats for practice area allocation and work assignment were largely similar. During the summer program, “if you expressed an interest in working with a particular attorney or in a specific practice group, they always made that happen,” one source recalled, adding that “the level of access I had to senior partners was great.”  

Upon joining, juniors are assigned to a specific practice group, after which they typically receive their work either through a free-market system or directly from relevant partners. Many of the juniors we spoke to appreciated the opportunity to form meaningful relationships with senior figures early on. As one junior remarked: “The partner I work with has taught me everything I know - I’m very grateful.” 

Nearly a quarter of associates will join DLA’s behemoth of a corporate group, which tackles a mix of M&A, private equity, capital markets, and venture capital work. Sources in the firm's Chicago and DC offices mentioned coming across a fair bit of private equity work, while New Yorkers highlighted working on capital markets matters. Naturally, the West Coast offices see a large proportion of venture finance work, though unsurprisingly, this can be found in all the firm’s larger offices too.  

“Representing PE firms on tech acquisitions has been a big focus for the firm recently.” 

Sources told us that “representing PE firms on tech acquisitions has been a big focus for the firm recently” - this has been a major trend in the legal industry. However, tech is far from being the only sector DLA engages with. As one source told us: “I’ve worked on deals in everything from the retail and insurance sector, to life sciences and franchising.” There’s no shortage of hefty deals for associates to work on either, with transactions typically measured in the hundreds of millions and billions of dollars. High levels of partner and client contact defined most associates’ experience in the group. And while this was often accompanied with high pressure, one source in New York appreciated that “the head of my group actively ensures that no one is on an unsustainable billable pace, and tries to address issues with a redistribution of work as quickly as possible.” 

Corporate clients: Adams Street Partners, Applus Technologies, Synergy Sports, and Arbe Robotics. Represented Radius Payment Solutions, a cloud manufacturing and digital supply chain company, in its $1.4 billion business combination with ECP Environmental Growth Opportunities. 

Litigation is DLA’s second largest group, where varieties of class action, commercial, and white-collar cases are all up for grabs. One insider also told us that “Kate Brown de Vejar, the global head of international arbitration, is currently building up a very strong practice group.” One junior in Dallas – where a lot of securities cases are tackled - enthused that “DLA offers the chance for young associates to participate in sophisticated, high-stakes litigation from day one.” Their enthusiasm was largely matched by our other interviewees who were able to rack up lots of experience drafting discoveries, motions, and deposition summaries. One insider highlighted that “as a lot of the clients are international, most of the cases will have an international flair.” DLA also has a separate trademark and copyright rights group. Clients here are often highly specialized, and “it often requires learning an industry ground up,” sources said; “it makes it really fun!” 

Litigation clients: British Airways, New York University, Noble Capital Group, Subway, and Nashville Soccer. Represented Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company & National Surety Corporation (Allianz) in nine lawsuits (including one class action) arising from claims of wrongful denial of business interruption coverage based on alleged losses incurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“You can only get those opportunities at a big firm like this.” 

Associates in thetax practice group were situated in Houston, Palo Alto, Philadelphia, LA, and San Francisco. Associates’ work here revolved around two primary functions: global expansion, where attorneys assist organizations establishing themselves abroad; and restructuring, where attorneys try to reduce the effective tax rate for organizations as tax laws change. “What I like most is communicating directly with the heads of tax at different organizations,” one associate told us, adding that “you can only get those opportunities at a big firm like this.”  

Tax clients: Moody’s, Danaher Corporation, and Solar Winds. Represented Solis and Parasol Renewable Energy in the sale of a renewable energy company, Clēnera, to Enlight Renewable Energy 

Hours & Compensation

Billable hours: 2,000 requirement

2,000 hours was consistently stated to be the minimum requirement for bonus eligibility, which most of our interviewees comfortably achieved, particularly in the wake of COVID and home-working where some lamented that “work-life balance has somewhat disappeared.” Another added: “I regularly check my emails even when I’ve closed my computer.”  

“The most I’ve ever worked on the weekend is 18 hours, but I would have left if it was that regular.” 

However, hours also naturally varied among associates on a monthly, weekly, and daily basis. For example, one reported experiencing “some pretty light weeks where I’m finishing at a normal time.” Comparatively, another told us: “I’m currently approaching a deadline and there’s a fat chance of getting everything done before Friday, which means I’ll be working on the weekend.” They added: “The most I’ve ever worked on the weekend is 18 hours, but I would have left if it was that regular.”  

Ultimately, the hours worked by associates at DLA in a given week were bang in line with the market according to our survey. Moreover, our interviewees appreciated having autonomy over their workload: “I don’t have to check in, it’s very hands-off; and during the week, if I have errands to run, it’s all good as long as I balance it out.” Some respondents indicated a reluctance to take vacation, but (arguably) more importantly, over three quarters of our respondents felt the benefits package made the workload worthwhile – comfortably above the market average. 

Pro Bono 

Pro bono hours 

• For all US attorneys: 154,200
• Average per attorney: 81

The sentiment on pro bono was much more universal: “DLA is a firm whose commitment to pro bono is genuine.” Most associates felt that expectations to reach 60 hours was the norm, with attorneys occasionally exceeding the 100-hour cap “if it’s a signature project such as a veterans’ rights or immigration case.” Associates were pleased to report that “we’re always hearing updates about how we should be doing more.” Currently, our data shows that DLA’s attorneys complete more pro bono hours than nearly three quartersof firms in our guide.  

“DLA is a firm whose commitment to pro bono is genuine.” 

Pro bono coordinators are at hand in every office to divvy out cases, but associates are also free to suggest cases they are personally interested in tackling. The firm’s commitment to pro bono is such that they even have a scholarship dedicated to it in the form of the Krantz Fellowship. The program gives two former summer associates the chance to work exclusively on pro bono projects in their first year. “You can craft your own program,” one junior exclaimed, “it’s unbelievable.” 

Career Development 

Interviewees also saw the benefit of pro bono “in helping with career development,” explaining that “leading on pro bono cases forces you outside your comfort zone. It also helps develop client communication skills and connects you with a broader range of people across the firm.”  

All associates are assigned a career adviser (who is usually a partner or counsel) upon joining the firm, who leads them through an annual review process. However, the consensus was that “most of the feedback is informal, in the form of ad hoc advice on how to improve a draft or why a case went in a certain direction.”  

Sources also observed (correctly) that “the market is so crazy at the moment, so we’re seeing a lot of people lateraling to and from DLA.” For those with partnership ambitions, insiders explained that “from year seven you can qualify for it, but you need to make a business case.” Despite the high number of laterals coming in, an associate did point out that many of the partners they worked with had been at the firm for their entire careers, so “it’s not just a revolving door.”  

Culture 

Owing to the size of the firm, our interviewees felt the culture wasn’t entirely cohesive – “it’s just too massive to define as a whole!” However, they did note that “because many of the offices were derived from smaller pre-DLA firms, each has its own unique culture.” For example, one source in Chicago noted that “we were the product of Rudnick & Wolfe, so there’s a long history and sense of family there.” Similarly, juniors in the San Francisco office felt it was unique in having more of a chilled atmosphere: “When in the office we had office drinks and ping pong every month and everyone typically left around the 5pm mark – it’s very different from the East Coast.” 

“No one is forcing golf down my throat!” 

Despite the working differences between coasts, the consensus was that “DLA isn’t a homogenous group of people from the same background with elitist tastes.” For example, one source in New York was happy to report that “no one is forcing golf down my throat,” while another junior maintained that “it’s a place where you’re encouraged to be your authentic self.” Though our interviewees appreciated the efforts to keep things social during the height of the pandemic – which included wine and chocolate tasting sessions – the overall sentiment was that “a lot of the firm’s social aspect is driven by happy hours, karaoke, and restaurant trips.” 

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion 

DLA sits above the market average for its representation of both women and ethnic minorities at partnership level. Our insiders were of the opinion that while “the firm does a good job recruiting, it could still do better at retaining diverse talent,” citing the bottom-heavy image of diversity at the firm. 

However, associates felt that the firm has good structures in place to address diversity and inclusion, particularly in the form of “affinity groups which have a meaningful voice, with clear overlap with the firm’s leadership,” one source reflected. Some of the firm’s groups include an African American/Black group, a Hispanic/Latino group, an Asian American/Pacific Islander group, and an LGBTQ+ group (known as Iris) among several others. We were also told that “DLA has a diversity and inclusion officer who arranges talks and internal discussions with key leaders in movements for diversity, which in the past has included senators.” 

Strategy & Future 

For DLA Piper, perpetual motion remains the name of the game. “It’s always in growth mode,” sources observed, pointing to an influx of laterals across the board as evidence. One particularly shrewd insider told us: “The work is out there – if you’re not in growth mode you’re giving up ground and losing out to the competition.”  

“If you’re not in growth mode you’re giving up ground…” 

Associates receive strategy updates twice a year by the US chair, with one point of notice being efforts to expand the firm’s healthcare practice. “Companies such as Pfizer are hugely important to the firm so it’s important we focus on growing from a regulatory and litigation standpoint,” one insider reasoned. Their thoughts are echoed by managing partner Rick Chesley, who emphasizes that “though we’re focused on growing everywhere,life sciences, real estate, and financial services are the key sectors.” Chesley also notes that while ALSP (alternative legal service providers) “represent a challenge on some of the more sophisticated tax work,” DLA is “looking at models where lower cost providers can do some of the work, so we can compete at the lower end.” On the international stage, Chesley also tells us of ambitions “to develop closer relationships, with our Canadian, Puerto Rican, and Latin American offices.” 

Get Hired

The first stage: recruitment on and off campus 

Director of Talent Acquisition, Stacy Silverstone,  tells us that DLA Piper’s on-campus interview efforts “focus on a broad slate of schools including the top national schools, schools that have close ties to one or more of our offices and HBCUs”.” The firm sees between 2 and 60 students at each campus. The firm also recruits from a number of job fairs across the country, including the Bay Area Diversity Career Fair, Boston Lawyers Group, Chicago Cook County Bar Association Minority Law Student Job Fair, Philadelphia Area Diversity Job Fair, Southeast Minority Job Fair, Lavender Law Career Fair, Northwest Minority Job Fair, and the Hispanic National Bar Association Job Fair. Additionally, the firm posts all of their summer associate job openings on their website and encourages students to apply directly. 

Silverstone tell us: “The firm typically has partners or teams of partners and associates from a variety of practice groups (often alumni) conduct the on-campus interviews.” Questions typically consist of behavioral interview questions, as Silverstone explains: “We believe that behavioral interviews allow us to go beyond the facts on a candidate’s resume, discover and confirm the candidate’s behavioral skills, abilities and talents, and help to ensure that candidates are evaluated equally.” 

Top tips for this stage: 

“I would encourage candidates to find out as much about us as they can – through our website, LinkedIn, Instagram, speaking with our attorneys and alumni and their career services offices. We realize that deciding whether to interview with a firm or accept an offer is an important decision, so we want students to feel like they have as much information as possible.” – Director of Talent Acquisition Stacy Silverstone 

“The interviewer is trying to get to know you beyond your resume.  Focus on giving the interviewer a sense of your life experiences that will help you be a successful summer associate and lawyer. - Director of Talent Acquisition Stacy Silverstone

Callbacks 

With so many offices, there are some regional differences in how callback interviews are conducted. “Many of our offices use a ‘super callback’ day format during which we interview 16 to 20 students in a single day using a panel interview format. We have done this virtually and in person,” Silverstone explains. In some offices, the ‘super callback’ interviews are followed by a reception or a Q&A session with the recruiting team or firm leaders. Other offices invite candidates back to meet with four to five individual lawyers for two to three hours. As with the OCIs, questions are often behavioral, as Silverstone tells us: “Our focus at this stage is really on getting as complete a picture of the candidates as we can.” 

Top tips for this stage: 

“Be authentic. The callback interview is really a chance for us to get to know the students and for them to get to know us.” –Director of Talent Acquisition Stacy Silverstone 

“It’s also helpful for students to really have done their homework. They should take the time to go to our website and have a clear idea of why they are interested in interviewing with us. There is a lot of information on our careers website about who we are, what we do and the qualities we are looking for in prospective candidates.”  –Director of Talent Acquisition Stacy Silverstone 

Summer program 

Silverstone says summer associates at DLA Piper “will have the opportunity to contribute to real client projects across cutting-edge practices and sectors. They also will be encouraged to make a meaningful difference by devoting significant time to pro bono work.”.” 

Silverstone tells us the firm “is invested in partnering with the summer associates to support their development during the summer and beyond..” Summer associates are assigned advisors, work coordinators and readers, all individuals at the firm who are top-notch writers who will review summer associate assignments and go over the work with them in detail. Throughout the summer, Silverstone says, “summer associates will start to develop professional skills and industry knowledge that will allow them to be part of a team providing creative solutions to legal challenges.”

“The highlight of our program is our annual summer associate retreat, “Silverstone tells us. Typically, this two-and-a-half day event brings together summer associates from around the country at one of the firm’s offices. .  The retreat gives summer associates the chance to hear from and meet the firm’s leaders, participate in training sessions and build meaningful relationships that will last beyond the summer program. Due to COVID, the firm modified the event for a remote environment but hopes to return it to an in-person event in 2022. Most summer associates return to the firm as junior associates, and Silverstone says, “We do our best to place the former summer associates into their first or second choice of practice areas.” 

Notable past summer events: going to see Hamilton, bowling, cooking classes, a fireworks cruise 

Top tips for this stage: 

“I encourage summer associates to engage with the summer program as much as possible. By that, I mean, try to be present each day. Take advantage of the opportunities for informal lunches and coffees. Seek out connections with lawyers, partners and staff and participate fully in the training opportunities offered.” –Director of Talent Acquisitions, Stacy Silverstone 

And finally... 

Silverstone says “throughout the interview stages, interviewers are looking for individuals who are driven by challenges and actively embrace a culture of collaboration and inclusion.”

Interview with co-US managing partner Richard Chesley

Chambers Associate: How would you describe the firm’s current market position?

Our growth and success through covid has really confirmed the strength of our strategy, as well as our approach to working with our clients, our communities and among ourselves. Through our  broad practice with nine separate practice groups and 27 different geographies in the US, we’ve been able to serve clients in so many places, with core strengths in these areas allowing us to mitigate the impact of the pandemic. For example, using our life sciences capacity with tech expertise is a massive thing that has also served us in cross-border matters.

CA: Are there highlights from the past year or in the firm’s immediate future you think our readers should be aware about? Any office moves/upgrades? Significant lateral hires/ practice growth?

Our work with the vaccine continues to be important news, and we are one of the leading firms in the space with the ability to go to market on the transaction side. Serving those clients with a variety of practice support allows us to bring our full range to the table, and on cross-border issues. We’ve brought the relationships between our Canadian and Latin America teams closer, along with our office in Puerto Rico. And we have brought more lawyers in than ever with 17 new partners, and lateralling in roughly 35 new attorneys.

CA: Would you characterize the firm as in growth mode? If so, can you tell me more about which practice areas/sectors have been earmarked for growth? What about geographic growth? What is driving that growth? E.g. commercial/political developments, technological change.

We have a 5-3-2 strategic model, with five geographic grow areas; three key sectors including life science, tech. real estate, and financial services; and disputes and transactions. Real estate has boomed for us, having one of the largest practices in the world, and disputes has also picked up.

CA: How has the firm weathered the pandemic and has it affected the firm’s long-term strategy? Has it affected the firm’s remote working policies?

The pandemic has confirmed that it works. We moved to the cloud in 2019, so we had everything transferred from March 13th to the 16th, allowing people to pitch in from wherever they are.

CA: What is the greatest challenge facing the firm in the next decade? How about the legal market more generally? How serious a threat to do you regard the rise of ALSP [Alternative Legal Service Providers]? What changes is the firm making to ensure it remains competitive?

I’ll share a few: the demand for talent is one of the most pressing matters; the virtual workspace will continue to be a challenge because you miss that connectivity, the training, the mentorship; so we probably have 20-30% too much space; and I think ALSPs will be a challenge in some of the more sophisticated tax work – we’re looking to have lower cost providers do some work so we can compete at the lower end.

CA: How has the rise in legal technology affected the firm? Are you implementing any specific programs/initiatives with regards to technology?

Many – it’s how we competed with covid, and we’re using AI principally in real estate and transactional. It’s going to be critical, so we have a task force exploring new iterations of tech and how to get it to our clients.

CA: Does the firm have any set targets with regards to diversity? What policies are in place/what new policies are the firm implementing to ensure that the firm meets these targets?

We have one of the largest D&I initiatives in the country - we do not have set targets, but we look at it from retention, recruiting and mentoring, law school hirings, partner promotion, and partnership process. We go to the HBCUs and we have a scholarship program, which is a key element of recruiting on campus.

CA: Any advice for those about to enter the legal industry?

Buckle your seatbelts – prepare for the unexpected! It’s created an incredibly smart, sophisticated group of young lawyers: be patient, flexible, and take it all in. Irrespective of client and partner demands, you need to slow it down; good things come to those who are deliberate and thoughtful.