Masel, (previously known as PD Phillips), Smithers Warren Davenport Mant and Lavan Solomon form an association and agree to practise as a federation under the name Phillips Fox. 1990 Canberra office opens. 1991 Seymour Nulty in Brisbane joins Phillips Fox. 1992 Phillips Nicholson in New Zealand joins Phillips Fox, creating the first trans-Tasman law firm. Ross & McCarthy in Adelaide joins Phillips Fox. 1993 Hanoi office opens and the firm is the first in the world to be granted a licence to practise in Vietnam.Darvall McCutcheon merges with Phillips Fox in Melbourne. Darvall McCutcheon was itself the result of a merger in 1982 of Darvall & Hambleton and W B & O McCutcheon which had their origins in 1864 and 1888 respectively. 1997 Ho Chi Minh City office opens in Vietnam. 1999 Phillips Fox moves from being a federated group of offices to a fully integrated, corporately managed legal firm. 2006 On 20 November, Phillips Fox enters into an exclusive alliance with DLA Piper, one of the largest legal services organisations in the world, and becomes a member of the global DLA Piper Group under the name DLA Phillips Fox. 2011 On 1 May, DLA Phillips Fox (Australia) integrates with DLA Piper to become DLA Piper Australia. DLA Phillips Fox New Zealand remains an independent law firm closely allied to DLA Piper. 2015 On 2 March, DLA Phillips Fox (New Zealand) integrates with DLA Piper to become DLA Piper New Zealand. Offices DLA Piper is a polycentric firm with over 80 offices in more than 40 countries across the Americas, Asia Pacific, Australasia, Europe, Africa and the Middle East: DLA Piper New Zealand is the first global, business law firm operating in New Zealand. with offices in Auckland and Wellington, DLA Piper New Zealand provides counsel to a range of private and public companies, central and local government entities, charities and other organisations. Political contributions DLA Piper was the twelfth-largest donor to President Barack Obama's 2012 re-election campaign. According to OpenSecrets, DLA Piper was one of the top law firms contributing to federal candidates during the 2012 election cycle, donating $2.19 million, 73% to Democrats. By comparison, during that same period Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld donated $2.56 million, 66% to Democrats, while oil conglomerate ExxonMobil donated $2.66 million, 88% to Republicans. Since 1990, DLA Piper has contributed $16.97 million to federal campaigns, and spent over $1 million on