International law firm DLA Piper has only 28 attorneys focused on bankruptcy and restructuring in its global army of more than 1,400.
Craig Rasile, who’s in the midst of staffing up a brand new office in the heart of downtown Miami to change that, is the man they picked to change all that.
He recently led an exodus of seven attorneys from Hunton & Williams, four who joined DLA with him.
“They asked me to help them organize, manage, build and develop the Miami office, which I thought was a very intriguing prospect and a challenge,” Mr. Rasile said. “I've done that at Holland & Knight, I did it at Hunton & Williams… and I thought I could do this globally for DLA Piper, but also to become a critical component of the restructuring practice in the firm.”
On top of all that he said he agreed with DLA in that the world is becoming smaller and in partnering with firms around the globe to serve clients. The move also gave him the chance reunite and build a presence with old friends from college and law school.
The Miami office is to serve as a link between Europe, where DLA has more than 125 partners, and Latin America where it’s trying to grow its presence.
Mr. Rasile discussed the challenges of opening up a brand new office in a town swamped with lawyers, and why of all places in Latin America DLA chose to work in Venezuela, with Miami Today staff writer Zachary Fagenson.