DLA Piper has announced plans to integrate Portuguese relationship firm ABBC after a six-year best friends relationship.
ABBC, which has worked as DLA’s relationship partner since 2010 and has strong ties to its Africa practice, will adopt the DLA Piper branding from 7 March.
The integration, described by DLA co-global CEO Simon Levine as a “natural evolution” of the relationship, will give DLA an office in Lisbon with 50 lawyers across eight practice groups including banking and financial services, real estate, technology, and energy.
DLA has confirmed that ABBC’s affiliated Angola office, ADCA, will remain a part of the firm’s Africa group.
DLA global co-chairman Juan Picon said: “Having a DLA Piper office in Portugal will complete our Iberian offering and enable us to service the many global and Spanish clients who need legal advice across Spain and Portugal, Latin America and, increasingly, Africa.”
Earlier this year, The Lawyer reported that DLA Piper’s continental European offices had posted double-digit growth in the last financial year.
France recorded a 25 per cent uptick while revenue across its three German offices grew by 18 per cent. Globally revenue increased by just 0.4 per cent to £767.5m.
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