meet their unique legal needs."
the Bedrock of Primerus
that a significant shift took place in the
legal industry. After more than a decade
of economic boom for law firms, with
demand for legal services increasing
each year, suddenly demand dropped.
Now, a seller's market had shifted to
a buyer's market, and clients began
demanding more from their law firms
better and more adaptable service,
high quality work product, and more
efficiency and value for their money.
Fortunately for Primerus, those client
demands are the fundamentals of how
Primerus works, as exemplified in the
product, reasonable fees, continuing
legal education, civility and community
service. Primerus was founded in 1992
to restore honor and dignity to the
legal profession and to help rebuild the
public's trust in lawyers and the judicial
system, and for 20 years it has worked to
set the standard in client service.
"The Primerus brand of high quality
legal services for reasonable fees was
and is just what clients are seeking
quality and value," Buchanan said.
"Primerus has always supported clients
by holding law firms to the high standard
of service that every business and
individual deserves from an attorney.
As a profession we had strayed away
from that, and I formed Primerus to help
bring it back."
Right Lawyer
of client service, Primerus' work as
"matchmaker," bringing together clients
with the perfect lawyer for their needs,
represents the ultimate innovation in
client service.
Primerus is uniquely equipped to
do this for clients, Buchanan explained.
While there are many directories of
lawyers and law firms, none offer the
same level of quality assurance and
screening that Primerus does, accepting
only the finest law firms around the
world and subjecting them to consistent
quality reviews.
And none other offers a free service
to clients, with a staff to help them select
the right lawyer for them anywhere in the
world. A large part of that is the work of
Primerus' Corporate Client Department.
Formed in 2011, the department is
dedicated to generating new business
development opportunities for Primerus
members, and in doing so, helping
clients find the lawyers they need.
The department fields requests
from clients seeking a law firm in a
specific geographic location or with a
specific expertise, or both. Many times,
a Primerus firm member will fit the
criteria, but if not, Primerus does not
stop there. If Primerus has a firm in
the same geographic area, but without
the correct expertise, they will ask the
Primerus firm to recommend another
quality, local firm with the required
specialty. Other times, Primerus will
turn to its member development team
to recommend a prospective law firm
(one that the department has researched
for quality but not yet invited for
membership, or has not yet completed
the membership process). Primerus
also will tap into its more than 3,600
attorneys for recommendations of fellow
quality lawyers.
"We try to go above and beyond
to make sure clients find what they're
looking for, whether it's a Primerus
member or not," Buchanan said. "We
want them to know their best interest is
our best interest."
consisting of nearly 200 law firms
with about 3,600 attorneys in over
40 countries, the opportunities are
countless. Primerus member Roger
Brothers of Buchman Provine Brothers
Smith in Walnut Creek, California, is
pleased with the ways Primerus has
helped him better serve his clients since
joining in October 2012.
"Primerus has helped me provide
representation for my clients, and I know
the representation they're going to get
will be good," he said.
Brothers was impressed with
Primerus' vetting process. "I know every
Primerus attorney has gone through the
same process I went through," he said.
"That immediately instills confidence."
And it does the same for clients.
Matthew Tegmeyer, casualty manager
for Vericlaim in Naperville, Illinois, first
discovered Primerus through Primerus
member John Brydon of Brydon, Hugo
& Parker in San Francisco. Tegmeyer's
company, Vericlaim, represents The
Scott's Miracle-Gro Company, a
Fortune 500 lawn care corporation,
who often would look to Vericlaim for
recommendations when they needed
a litigator somewhere in the country.
When they became displeased with a
California law firm due to exorbitant fees,
one of Tegmeyer's Vericlaim associates
recommended Brydon, Hugo & Parker.
Pleased with the results and the fees,
they hired him for other cases, Tegmeyer
said. Eventually, Brydon introduced
Tegmeyer to other Primerus attorneys,
and he began attending Primerus client
events such as the Primerus Defense
Institute Convocation.
"One thing I love about Primerus
is they're not `in-your-face,'" Tegmeyer
said. "They are not beating down my
door trying to get business, and I really
appreciate that."
Now, he has worked with Primerus
firms in Rochester, New York; New
Orleans, Louisiana; Lexington,
Kentucky; and others.
"The results were all excellent. The
reporting was on spot and I didn't have to