Today’s Zaman, Turkey
March 26 2010
Leading international law firm DLA Piper coming to Turkey
As one of the world’s largest international law firms, DLA Piper has
decided to launch operations in Turkey by May of this year.
With the addition of Turkey to its list of offices DLA Piper will be
operating in 30 countries worldwide, with 68 offices and over 8,000
employees, about 3,800 of whom are lawyers. DLA Piper is already the
largest business law firm in the world in terms of the size of its
staff. In 2008 DLA Piper became the largest law firm globally in terms
of revenue, with $2.26 billion. DLA Piper will possibly bring other
international law firms to the Turkish market and facilitate some of
its clients investing in Turkey. Fifty-eight of the firm’s top 100
clients currently invest in Turkey. All of these companies are in the
top 250 of the Fortune 500 list.
Speaking to a group of Turkish journalists, DLA Piper joint CEO Sir
Nigel Knowles told Today’s Zaman that it was calls from DLA Piper’s
clients operating in Turkey that urged them to invest in their Turkish
operation. `The vision of our firm is to be the leading global law
firm. And you can’t be or aspire to be the world’s leading global law
firm if you haven’t got offices or credible relations with local firms
in the G20 countries. Turkey is 17th in the G20, and it has got
ambitions to go even beyond that position, and I understand that in
the time frame of four to five years it is estimated that Turkey will
be around 12th of the G20. So far as DLA Piper is concerned, we cannot
claim to be the leading law firm if we haven’t got a solution for
Turkey,’ Sir Nigel said.
DLA Piper operates on a broader base than the `Magic Circle Firms’ —
the five largest UK law firms that operate only in corporate finance
and the capital market — and Sir Nigel believes that his firm is
tailor made for the recent economic crisis conditions. `Large
corporates are rethinking the legal services they are buying. They are
cutting down their legal spending budgets and are looking for greater
value for money. We see the model of DLA Piper purpose-made for the
current environment,’ he said.
Sir Nigel also suggested that the presence of DLA Piper in the Turkish
market will be an incentive for its clients to make their minds up to
come and invest in Turkey. `We are a conduit between Turkish
businessmen willing to do business around the world and the rest of
the world wanting to do business in Turkey. I am sure there are some
clients around the world that have thought about Turkey but haven’t
quite made a decision. They will find it easier now because we will be
there to support them,’ Sir Nigel said.
The joint CEO also believes that the relationship between an
international law firm and the legal environment it operates in is not
a one-way relationship. `What we are doing will contribute to best
practice in the Turkish market,’ he told Today’s Zaman. Andrew Darwin,
managing director for Europe at the firm, added that the local bars
will see in time that it is an advantage to have international law
firms. `It strengthens the law, the profession,’ he said. `Economy
benefits from having world class legal services,’ Sir Nigel added.
Darwin is hopeful that the UK Law Society will also be active in
promoting relations between the profession in the UK and Turkey given
the fact that DLA Piper and other possible international law firms
will be operating in Turkey. `We know that there are a number of firms
looking at the Turkish market. We believe we will not be the only one
in the market. We just want to be there reasonably early,’ he said.
Marc Grossman, a former US ambassador to Turkey and now a partner in
DLA Piper, suggested that `the whole purpose of law firms is to
promote the rule of law and that the presence of DLA Piper and other
international law firms in the Turkish market will add to the legal
standards of Turkey.’
Asked whether or not they are worried about the recent legal
contention in Turkey, Sir Nigel replied that if their clients, knowing
all those risks, established a presence in Turkey, they have to do so
as well. Darwin added that they had experience in Turkey in the past
and that their clients were all satisfied. `From a Western European
perspective the Turkish market is perceived as an opportunity,’ he
said.
DLA Piper had represented the Turkish government in the US, lobbying
against so-called Armenian genocide resolutions, and Darwin made clear
that during the time that they represented the Turkish government `no
resolution including that `g-word’ passed.’
Asked whether DLA Piper had selected Turkey as a hub to operate in
Middle Eastern or East European countries, Sir Nigel suggested that
with its sizeable population and vibrant economy Turkey should already
be very influential in the region. `With its momentum gaining velocity
it is Turkey that selected itself as a regional hub, not us,’ Sir
Nigel said.
BOX: DLA Piper, a leading global legal service provider, is coming to
Turkey. It is suggested that DLA Piper will also facilitate its
clients’ decisions to invest in Turkey. Fifty-eight of DLA Piper’s top
100 clients already operate in Turkey. With the addition of Turkey to
its list of offices DLA Piper will be operating in 30 countries, with
68 offices and over 8,000 employees
26 March 2010, Friday
KERIM BALCI LONDON