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Welcome to another episode of the Business Leaders of America Podcast. In this episode, I sit down with Dean Fealk, an international attorney, bestselling author, and global business leader whose career has spanned the highest levels of law, trade, and public policy. As Managing Partner Emeritus of DLA Piper’s Northern California offices and Chair of the firm’s Global Equity Practice, Dean has advised multinational companies on over $30 billion in cross-border transactions while shaping conversations on international trade and economic development.
Beyond the boardroom, Dean serves on influential boards and councils, from the California Workforce Development Board to the National Democratic Institute and Halifax International Security Forum, and has been appointed to advise both the U.S. Secretary of Commerce and the U.S. Trade Representative.
In our conversation, Dean shares insights on the future of global business, the intersection of law and entrepreneurship, and what leaders need to understand about navigating international markets in a time of rapid change.
Notable Awards and Recognitions
• Northern California Managing Partner Emeritus at DLA Piper, one of the world’s largest law firms.
• Guided multinational companies through more than $30 billion in cross-border transactions
• Bestselling co-author of Impact the World: Live Your Values and Better the World Through Your Work
• Appointed to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce’s Trade Finance Advisory Council
• Appointed to the U.S. Trade Representative’s Intergovernmental Policy Advisory Committee on Trade
• Co-founder of the Transatlantic AI eXchange, fostering collaboration between the U.S. and Europe on artificial intelligence
How to connect with Dean Fealk
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/dean-fealk-79a611/
• https://www.dlapiper.com/
• https://cwdb.ca.gov/membership/dean-fealk/
• https://www.instagram.com/deanfealk/
Show Notes
[1:25] Dean reflects on what sparked his interest in working across law, public policy, global trade, and civic leadership, and how this interdisciplinary approach has shaped his career and success.
[7:46] Strategies for staying motivated and focused during prolonged negotiations when businesses take time to reach agreements.
[9:48] How he balances the demands of his multifaceted career across law, global trade, public policy, and civic leadership.
[14:38] Dean’s experience as Northern California Managing Partner at DLA Piper, overseeing billions in cross-border transactions, and shares the biggest challenges U.S. companies face when expanding internationally and how he helps them navigate them.
[19:35] The growing trend of bringing businesses back to the U.S., contrasting it with offshoring, nearshoring, and reshoring.
[24:29] His perspective on the recent U.S. tariffs and how they’ve created new challenges in cross-border work and for the clients he advises in international trade.
[30:27] How businesses can better align legal strategy with global growth ambitions in today’s economic climate and how he helps clients stay current on regulatory changes and compliance deadlines.
[34:33] The innovations and emerging trends in the legal profession that excite him most, especially those shaping the startup and tech ecosystem.
[39:16] Dean shares how listeners can stay connected with his work, learn more about what he’s doing at DLA Piper, and pick up his book Impact the World.
[40:00] One key mindset and strategy for business leaders who want to expand internationally or make a greater civic impact.
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