DLA Piper Partners Approve Plan to Dissolve Verein (Correct)

DLA Piper partners have voted to ditch their verein structure, crossing the biggest hurdle in its plan to unify strategy across global operations.

The firm announced on Friday that partners “overwhelmingly approved” the new global entity operating under a single leadership team.

“DLA Piper is uniquely positioned to help clients navigate a landscape marked by the increasing complexity of doing business across borders, with less trade and regulatory certainty, and rapid technological disruption,” said global chair and co-CEO Frank Ryan in a statement. Ryan will serve as global chair and co-CEO of the firm, while London-based Charles Severs will serve as co-CEO.

DLA leaders first announced plans to dissolve its verein structure in late March. A new global holding company will oversee two partnerships: DLA Piper US and DLA Piper International.

The changes are set to be implemented on May 1.

“This alignment strengthens our ability to invest in the lawyers, teams, and technologies that will reshape competition in major legal markets,” Ryan said.

Vereins used by some law firms to connect loose networks of affiliates with separate profits pools operating under the same brand.

DLA adopted the Swiss verein structure in 2005 amid efforts to expand internationally. It has since grown to a 4,800-lawyer firm with 80 offices across the globe, and revenue topping $4.6 billion in 2025.

Its decision to dissolve its verein structure will give the firm more flexibility to drive profitability in the US and international partnerships, a necessity as top law firms face pressure to attract and retain key partners.

In addition to Ryan and Severs, the leadership team will include John Gilluly and Loren Brown as Vice Chairs, Sandra Wallace and Rick Chesley as Global Co-Managing Partners, and the firm’s International Managing Director for Clients, Benjamin Parameswaran.

“This move reflects our shared confidence that DLA Piper can take market share when the firm operates with unified global focus and coordination,” Severs said in a statement.