Profits up at DLA Piper

LAW firm DLA Piper, which has offices in Leeds and Sheffield, today said it was set to continue its push overseas as it revealed increased revenues and profits in 2010.

Across the business law firm, profits increased by almost 6% to £503m on revenue up by 1% to £1.27bn.

DLA Piper, one of the world’s largest law firms which traces its roots to Yorkshire, said its positive momentum had continued into 2011 with revenue £14.2m higher in the first quarter of this year than over the same period last year.

Over the past 18 months the firm has expanded its geographic spread and has established a presence in Turkey, Brazil, Portugal and Venezuela and last month it integrated with DLA Philips Fox in Australia.

DLA Piper, which has 4,200 lawyers in 76 offices worldwide, expects revenues to rise by 15.6% in 2011.

Sir Nigel Knowles, joint chief executive of DLA Piper, said: “Against the backdrop of a tough global legal services market our performance demonstrates the advantages of the firm’s diversity of services and geography.

“Our ambition is to be and remain the leading global business law firm and our absolute focus on our clients and what they need from us now and in the future will enable us to achieve this.

“Everyone in the firm is focused on continuing to deliver capability and value to our clients wherever they choose to do business.”