DLA Piper, the biggest law and consultancy office of business world with its offices in 29 countries shall start its operations in Turkey in May. It is stated that the law giant's coming to Turkey shall conduce the big companies working with this company to make investments in Turkey. Sir Nigel Knowles, CEO of the company says; "We are the exact channel for Turkish businessmen who wish to do business in other places of the world and for foreign businessmen who wish to do business in Turkey".   

DLA Piper, the World's biggest law and consultancy office of business world with respect to its headcount and turnover, has decided to come to Turkey. DLA Piper, with its 67 offices in 29 countries and approximately 8 thousand employees which 3 thousand 750 of them are lawyers, starting Turkey operations is expected to attract the company's clients to Turkey. Other international law firms to follow DLA Piper which works with 140 of the first 250 companies of Fortune 500 list are taken for granted.

Talking to Turkish journalists, Sir Nigel Knowles, one of two CEO's of DLA Piper, has stated that 58 of their biggest 100 clients are currently having operations in Turkey and their clients who have brought them to Turkey have demands. According to Knowles, DLA Piper's coming to Turkey shall make a facilitating effect on other clients for making an investment in Turkey. Andrew Darwin, managing the preparations of the operation of DLA Piper in Turkey, has stated that law-politics-army arguments in Turkey do not concern them. DLA Piper is expected to start its operations in Turkey in May. 

Sir Nigel Knowles says that they see coming to Turkey as a necessity of their company missions. "We have intended to be the globally leader business law firm. If a company does not exist in all of G-20 countries or has not made connections in these countries to cooperate, then it can not be the world's biggest. Turkey is the 17th in this list and has an aim of rising. Expectations are on its rise to the 12th rank in a short time. In this condition, it's impossible to think not being in Turkey." Knowles says and states that his company is virtually a model specifically designed for the economic crisis. 

According to Knowles, contrary to "secret ring companies" which have dominated business law environment for years, DLA Piper may offer more services for much lower charges for serving in more extensive field from ombudsman to real estate cases, from controversy cases to telecommunication disputes. Andrew Darwin, DLA Piper's managing director for Europe, has emphasized that being both global and local make their company different: "We're neither an American nor an English company. We're exactly a global company and we work with local people."    

'RISKS IN TURKEY DID NOT CAUSE CONCERNS'

Sir Knowles has stated that uncertainties in the current legal atmosphere in Turkey did not lead them to any concerns and said; "DLA Piper works totally client-oriented. If all these customers of ours, seeing all these mentioned risks, continue working in Turkey, then we have to be there also. The otherwise is unimaginable." Working with 140 of the first 250 companies of Fortune 500 list, 58 of DLA Piper's biggest 100 clients are currently having investments in Turkey and Sir Knowles is hopeful for their coming to Turkey  shall increase in this number. Knowles says; "We are the exact channel for Turkish businessmen who wish to do business in other places of the world and for foreign businessmen who wish to do business in Turkey. Our clients do not know our projects for Turkey yet. I'm sure some of our clients have thought to make business in Turkey but haven't finalized their decisions yet. Knowing that we may support them in Turkey shall help them in clarifying their decisions." Andrew Darwin also thinks that not being a common law firm but informing the clients on how the market is operating and being such a company leading them in the market shall encourage some of the clients to make investments in Turkey.  

Stating that none of the international law firms have dominated even one hundredth of the market yet, Sir Knowles thinks the firms growing in time shall cause assimilation in international law atmosphere and a convergence of national laws. But Andrew Darwin has an opinion that the current natural multi-law in the market shall continue for a time. According to Darwin, convergence in law systems shall be experienced as the same companies dominating law systems of different countries and being able to serve in all of them rather than assimilation of laws. "Firms like DLA Piper shall be effective in this process" says Darwin.  

For the question whether their firm sees Turkey as a base to jump to the neighborhood countries of Turkey, Knowles has replied as; "With its tremendous population, Turkey already has an influential effect on countries around Turkey. Its development momentum is speeding up. Under these conditions, Turkey has announced itself as a center".   

"It shall have a contribution to strengthening of superiority of law"

Andrew Darwin, DLA Piper's managing director for Europe, states that international law firms make a contribution for attorneyship and relevant professions to be executed in international standards in the countries they exist. He recorded that Turkey is not fully open for foreign law firms yet, but he believes the benefits of these firms shall be recognized by domestic bars in time. According to Darwin, existence of DLA Piper in Turkey shall provide United Kingdom Law Association to pay more attention to the legal processes in Turkey. "International law firms in a market support the image of that market being entirely internationalized and open. And this serves for the superiority of law in that country." Emphasizing that economy shall benefit from the presence of legal services in world standards, Darwin states that they are aware of a number of international law firms already interested in Turkey and says; "We wish to be here early enough". Mark Grossman, one of the consultants of Cohen Group, DLA Piper's American partner, the former Ankara USA Ambassador, believes that law offices like DLA Piper to operate in Turkey shall have a positive effect on establishing the superiority of law in Turkey.  

DLA Piper in Figures

Number of employees: approximately 8,000 including 3,750 lawyers

67 offices in 29 countries

Turnover: 2.26 billion dollars (2008)

The biggest law firm in 2009 in terms of turnover by Legal Busines

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