DLA looks near certain to rubber-stamp its ambitious merger with US suitor Piper Rudnick within hours, as partners are due to cast their votes on the proposed deal at 2pm tomorrow (4 December).

The vote is widely expected to see the merged firms combine under the name DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary, after the top 50 US firm sealed its domestic tie-up with San Diego’s Gray Cary Ware & Freidenrich in October.