Law firm history is littered with tales of failed alliances and DLA Piper just added another to the list. After months of negotiations between the pair (and denials of problems on the part of both firms) its long-standing alliance with South Africa’s Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr will formally draw to a close at the end of this month.

Instead DLA is going it alone in South Africa, here we ask local partners what they think the international firm will have to do to succeed.