Referrals dominate as the means of identifying outside counsel beyond US borders

An ALM survey in May of 2006 (coupled with interviews in early 2007) looks at how US companies select international outside counsel. Of 17 tools and resources the participants could select to explain how they identify and select outside counsel in another country (pg. 13), six of the top eight were referrals. Referrals from outside counsel in the US dominated the selection list, since 87 percent of the participants chose it. Other referrals came from outside counsel in the overseas region (63%), in-house lawyers in the US (56%), in-house lawyers at other companies (45%), in-house lawyers oversees (34%), and company management (32%).

Since firm interviews, the fourth most commonly selected choice really take place after the law department has identified a potential firm, the only top-eight method of identifying firms was “firm’s website.” That method came in second at 66 percent. To shout out the point, therefore, marketing internationally is all about word of mouth.