Dickson seals US tie with French kiss

The alliance between US firm Willkie Farr & ­Gallagher and the UK’s Dickson Minto was sealed over the strength of the ­former’s Paris office.

Dickson Minto senior partner Alastair Dickson said that, although the firm had worked with Willkie in the US, it enjoyed a much closer relationship with its French partners.

“We know the French office very well and rate them very highly. They’re the best lawyers in Europe and are always our first choice in Paris,” said Dickson. “We’ve worked with their New York office, more so in the last couple of years, but we also use Mayer Brown, Fried Frank [Harris Shriver & Jacobson] and Latham [& Watkins] in the US.”

Although the alliance, which is strictly non-­exclusive, will give Willkie a ­credible UK presence, ­Dickson said Dickson Minto will not function as an office to deal with the small UK components of Willkie’s large US deals.

The firms will not share any systems or branding, although they will share training and will list each other’s offices on ­headed paper.