DLA Piper is beefing up its presence in Chile by merging with Santiago law firm Noguera, Larraín & Dulanto on 1 April. This is the second merger the firm has undertaken in the area -  it joined forces with 25 lawyer Santiago-based law firm Bahamondez Alvarez & Zegers in 2016, now operating as BAZ/DLA Piper. Following the latest merger, DLA Piper's Chile practice will operate under the name DLA Piper BAZ NLD. The combined business will have more than 60 lawyers. 'With this association, we will be able to provide greater depth and breadth of service to our clients doing business in Chile and abroad, and take advantage of the complementary experience across sectors and services that our firms provide,' said Matías Zegers, partner at BAZ|DLA Piper.

Elite reputation

'When we announced our relationship with BAZ in 2016, it was with the intent to expand our capabilities to one of Latin America's largest economies through a firm with an elite reputation and history of institutional success,' said Roger Meltzer, DLA Piper's global co-chair and co-chair of the Americas. 'This merger accelerates that mission, which is part of our larger pan-hemispheric strategy, and allows us to even better accomplish our goals and serve our clients.'

DLA's Latin America trail

The merger between BAZ|DLA Piper and Noguera, Larraín & Dulanto is the latest expansion by DLA Piper in Latin America and the Caribbean region.  In addition to the firm's entry into Chile in 2016, DLA Piper has moved into Colombia with DLA Piper Martinez Beltran in 2015 and Peru with Pizarro Botto Escobar in Peru in 2017. It also  opened an office in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 2016. The firm also has an office in Mexico City, Mexico, and operates in cooperation with Campos Mello in Brazil.