DWF looks towards Africa and Latin America after striking deals with Iberian firms
Listed law firm DWF has struck deals with two separate firms, in Spain and Portugal, in line with its plans for global expansion.
The Manchester headquartered company said it had come to agreements with Spanish firm RTS Group and Portuguese law firm Nobre Guedes & Associados (NGA), with a viewing to strengthening its position on the Iberian Peninsula and gaining a foothold in both Africa and Latin America.
The agreements come as DWF pushes forwards with plans to expand its global footprint, in line with the expansionist strategy the firm adopted following its IPO in 2019.
In a statement, company CEO Sir Nigel Knowles said the deals will help it expand its offerings and widen its footprint, by allowing it access to markets in Africa and Latin America.
Sir Nigel Knowles said: “These strategic associations enhance our proposition in several important markets and support our strategy of offering integrated legal and business services to our clients on a global scale.”
“These associations strengthen our capabilities in the Iberian Peninsula, but also provide a platform for us into markets across Latin America and Africa.”
“We will continue to build our presence globally through acquisitions, associations and lateral hires and we are delighted to be working with these two excellent businesses.”
Global expansion
DWF’s deal with NGA, which has offices in both Lisbon and Porto, marks the legal giant’s first venture into Portugal, after the firm made its first move into Spain via its €50.5m (£42.5m) acquisition of RCD in 2019.
In a statement, DWF said its deal with corporate law firm NGA will expand its offering in a number of areas – including energy, transport, and banking – and also offer it exposure to customers across the globe in countries including Spain, France, the UK, Brazil, and Africa.
Separately, the legal services giant also struck a deal with Madrid headquartered loss adjusting and claims management business RTS Group.
RTS group employs 300 people across 18 different countries including Portugal, the US, Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina.
Luis Nobre Guedes, Managing Partner of NGA, said: “We have been looking for the opportunity to establish a relationship with a global legal business for some time and are delighted to have agreed this exclusive association with DWF.”