International legal business DWF has agreed to an exclusive association with US law firm Wood, Smith, Henning & Berman LLP (WSHB).

US reach

Andrew Leaitherland, managing Partner and ceo of DWF, said ‘this is a significant move for us which greatly expands our reach in the US. DWF and WSHB already have a number of mutual clients and many more we consider mutual prospects. In particular, we both have strong insurance practices and already support some of the world's largest insurers. Through this association we will be able to seamlessly serve those clients by bringing our model of complex, managed and connected services to the world's largest market for both legal and insurance services.’ Mr Leaitherland added, ‘our international strategy is client-led. We have opened offices or sought association partners where it makes sense strategically and where our clients operate and tell us they need our support.’

Shared values

He explained the decision to team with WSHB, ‘we have been considering our US growth strategy for some time, working to ensure that we found a partner that shares our values. We were particularly impressed by WSHB's commitment to invest in technology and a willingness to embrace innovation. They share our desire to transform the delivery of legal services.’ Los Angeles headquartered WSHB is a full-service law firm with 22 offices across the US, 56 partners and 250 lawyers, and generated gross revenue of $81m in its last financial year. It is with core strengths in insurance, construction, real estate, professional liability, commercial and employment law. The announcement follows a period of international expansion for DWF. Daniel Berman, chairman and co-founder of WSHB, said ‘partnering with DWF will enable us to move into the next phase of our development by not only tapping into an international network, but also by being able to access DWF's innovative connected services business.’