are impacted by this trend. Even small
law firms now report a significant part
of their business involves clients with
international connections. An August
2006 study conducted by Walker Clark,
LLC, a legal consulting firm in Fort
Myers, Florida, led that firm to conclude
that "globalization, as evidenced by
local clients with international business
interests and by foreign clients, is more
extensive and has permeated more
deeply into the legal profession than
we originally supposed." And while the
firm has not updated its survey results
in the last five years, firm founder
Norman Clark is confident the trend is
far more pervasive now. Also, the survey
revealed that international clients do
not limit themselves to large, national or
international law firms. "Even in firms
with fewer than 20 lawyers, a significant
number of clients have business interests
in other countries and, even more
significantly, there are foreign clients,"
the survey results said.
Bivins verifies this trend from his
experience in his own firm, as well as
the PBLI. "This historic default position
of international companies looking
to large or mega-firms as the reliable
source for quickly obtaining quality legal
services in multiple jurisdictions seems
to be changing," he said. He points to
two reasons the need for more cost-
effective legal services, which translates
to lower billing rates, and the availability
of law firm networks like Primerus which
offer high quality, carefully screened law
firms around the world for reasonable
fees. "Once general counsel reaches a
comfort level with this type of network, it
can greatly lighten the burden on general
counsel who must otherwise research,
qualify and at times negotiate with
multiple international firms when legal
needs arise in other jurisdictions."
law firms, now includes firms throughout
its four chapters North America,
Latin America & Caribbean, Europe,