DLA Piper US LLP

01 August 2007

DLA Piper US LLP in Who's Who Legal: California

DLA’s internationally renowned real estate practice is widely recognised as a “statewide powerhouse” and was awarded the ‘Who’s Who Legal Real Estate Law Firm of the Year’ award for 2007 – for the third year in a row. The firm’s Californian practice boasts seven nominees in the chapter. “Fantastic for transactional work”, Caryl Welborn is a former president of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers (ACREL), and Stephen Cowan is a founding member of that body. Among other matters, he worked on a $1.7 billion multi-property acquisition for Irvine Diversified. Senior counsel Alan Wayte is “very well respected” and Pamela Westhoff’s transactional practice was praised. Richard Mendelson’s “big name clients” include domestic and international financial institutions, insurance companies, pension funds and major developers. Corporations such as City National Bank go to form Michael Meyer’s client roster, and he was recommended as “the best in California for leasing work”. John Whitaker rounds off the firm’s contingent, receiving praise for his work on downtown Los Angeles development.


The firm’s Silicon Valley office is home to its two corporate governance representatives. Diane Holt Frankle is co-chair of the M&A practice group and her counsel regarding executive compensation, disclosure obligations and insider trading compliance issues was praised alongside her transactional competence. Henry Lesser is a former co-chair of the ABA business law section’s committee on corporate governance guidelines subcommittee. A “seasoned veteran” and a “great lawyer”, he acts as general counsel for The Global FoodBanking Network. Frankle and Lesser also appear in the M&A chapter, where they are equally well received. Frankle’s US and cross-border work, especially her anti-takeover practice for public company clients, attracted many positive comments. A “well-known and highly rated” figure in the M&A community, Lesser’s prestigious positions also include serving on the ABA committee on negotiated acquisitions and as chair of its private equity M&A subcommittee, as well as his tenure as co-service chair of its international transactions task force. The firm’s California practice is also “gaining ground in banking law”, where clients such as Fortress Credit have sought the firm’s expertise.

Chair of the finance practice group Gary Rosenbaum has “an enviable track record as an asset-based lending lawyer”, with leveraged finance and secured loan transactions featuring heavily in his CV.

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