Leading New Zealand and Australian law firm Phillips Fox says its exclusive alliance with DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary, one of the biggest legal service providers in the world, is a major step forward in response to the growing opportunities by the increasing globalisation of business.

Phillips Fox Wellington-based chairman John Strahl said the firm would become a member of the DLA Piper Group under the name DLA Phillips Fox.

Mr Strahl said it was the first exclusive alliance of an established law firm in New Zealand and Australia with a global law firm.

“The creation of DLA Philips Fox is our recognition of the rapid integration of New Zealand and Australian business into the world economy and it fits the long-term strategic intent of both firms,” Mr Strahl said.

“Phillips Fox will be ideally positioned to meet our clients’ needs locally, regionally, nationally and globally,” he said.

He said the firms had already worked well together for existing clients on some significant global transactions and were looking forward to future opportunities.

“We’re excited about working with DLA Piper to achieve its vision of being the leading global business law firm.”

Mr Strahl said Phillips Fox would retain what was special about the firm’s culture and its people.  He said DLA Piper’s goal was to meld, maintain and enhance the positive aspects of local firm cultures and to celebrate the inherent diversity.

DLA Piper is the founding and biggest member of the alliance with more than 3,100 lawyers in 59 officers in 22 countries.

Meanwhile, at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel in June DLA Piper’s was crowned Global Law Firm of the Year at The Lawyer Awards.

Clifford Chance won the coveted Law Firm of the Year Award. Freshfields scored a hat trick with gongs for banking and restructuring, M&A and pro bono.

Freshfields' leading barrister on the BCCI trial, Nicholas Stadlen QC of Fountain Court Chambers, also managed to scoop the Barrister of the Year Award. Allen & Overy went home with a prize for capital markets and structured finance, Slaughter and May's award for Corporate Team of the Year confirmed that the City elite had returned with a vengeance. Even the New York elite performed well, with
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett's efforts holding off fierce competition from Pittsburgh-based up and comer Reed Smith.

Partner of the Year Award went to Chris Lingard, managing partner of Cornwall's Follett Stock. The Cornish lawyers also put in a sterling bid for the unofficial Party Animals of the Year Award, but stiff competition from the City elite left this a split decision, according to eyewitness Steve Hoare, News editor of The Lawyer.