DLA scoops all Kraft work (but not hostile bids)
DLA Piper has been appointed by Kraft Foods as its new preferred adviser for all international day-to-day work in a first for the multinational company.
The arrangement will see the firm advise on areas including advertising, contract/commercial, corporate, employment, food law, IT/information systems, litigation and real estate.
As a result DLA Piper has put in place key relationship managers for each of the regions outside the US. These are Bob Bishop (EU and Canada), John Dougherty (Latin America), Sheila Moorthy (Asia-Pacific) and Delphine Nougayrede (Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa).
Bishop, who has previously worked with Kraft on a more informal basis, said: “This is the first time Kraft’s done this for the international side of the business. We’ve agreed to a certain fee structure this year and next, and we’ve been very competitive. The arrangement isn’t volume-based or bonus-incentivised in any way.”
DLA Piper is not expected to undertake strategic M&A work, such as the proposed takeover of chocolate producer Cadbury. Clifford Chance partner Sarah Jones is leading on that matter.
This follows DLA Piper winning a similarly structured mandate from gas and engineering group Linde in which it became the main adviser for Asia, Europe and the US (TheLawyer.com,
5 March 2007).
