DLA Piper is putting the finishing touches to its plans for full financial integration, Legal Week has learned, with the transatlantic giant aiming to put the proposed model to its global partnership in the first half of 2008 for approval.

A heavyweight committee, which includes joint chief executives Nigel Knowles and Chicago-based Lee Miller and senior partner Peter Wayte, is meeting in the US this month to thrash out outstanding details with a final blueprint due by the end of the year.