DLA’s merger prospect in talks with fellow US firm

Piper Rudnick is moving to bolster its presence on the US West Coast as it moves towards finalising merger talks with Gray Cary Ware & Freidenrich.

Gray Cary, best known for its Californian IT and media practices, represents an attractive proposition for Piper Rudnick, whose West Coast operations are currently limited to bases in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Sources indicate that Piper Rudnick’s UK merger suitor DLA, has been involved in the discussions from the outset. It is understood that partners at Gray Cary will presented with a plan of the merged entity within the next two weeks.

Piper Rudnick co-chair Frank Burch declined to comment on the Gray Cary talks. He said: "We are committed to the DLA transaction and we believe there is a powerful business case to support it. DLA is very much aware of everything we are doing and we are very much aware of what they are doing."

Should the Gray Cary tie-up go ahead, DLA Piper Rudnick would be propelled into the ranks of the world’s largest law firms with in excess of 3000 lawyers.

DLA declined to comment.