Law departments may change channels from referrals within law firm networks

A wary sentiment appears to prevail among senior in-house lawyers regarding use of law firms within networks of law firms (See my post of May 9, 2005 listing 12 networks.) If the law firm the law department has been using refers international work to a member of a network the referring firm belongs to, that is fine for the law department only if the referring firm knows the partner overseas and can vouch for the quality of the partner’s work.

Otherwise, membership in the network, on its own, does not secure the overseas firm the work. Law departments are as likely to find a firm on their own. That is the cautious sentiment.