DLA Piper has added a Nigerian law firm to its 15-strong African alliance network.

The new addition to the DLA Piper Africa network is Lagos firm Olajide Oyewole, which was founded in 1965 and focuses on corporate and commercial law. According to its website, it has eight partners.

Across the continent, DLA has relationships with independent firms in Angola, Ghana, Ethiopia, Burundi, Egypt, Tanzania, Botswana, Uganda, Rwanda, Zambia, Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya, Mauritius and Namibia, as well as its own offices in South Africa and Morocco.

DLA provides knowledge management, business development, communications and training support to its alliance firms, and also provides a secondment programme whereby lawyers from alliance firms are posted to DLA offices throughout the world.

The firm launched its own offices in Africa in Casablanca in 2015 and Johannesburg in 2016. It opened its Johannesburg base following the breakdown of its 10-year alliance with South African firm Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr in 2015.

DLA COO Andrew Darwin said: "The admission of Olajide Oyewole and its people to DLA Piper Africa is a real and significant development and reflects the strong relationship we have developed working together side by side for many years. It is a pleasure to officially welcome them to DLA Piper so that we can continue to support and serve clients together across all regions of this vast continent."