Relative rankings of countries and industries by key benchmark metrics, and the possible correlation to participation rates in the General Counsel Metrics survey

Previous posts a month ago explained my ranking of eight countries and 20 industries by “legal intensity.” The ranking accumulated the relative standing of each country’s or industry’s median for four key metrics of staffing and spending (See my post of Nov. 30, 2010: USA in the middle of the pack; and Dec. 1, 2010: industry ranking.). The indices may be crude, a first attempt at a methodology, but they point toward substantial differences in the factors that drive headcount and budgets.

My next investigation will be to explore whether the relative number of participants in the General Counsel Metrics global benchmark survey – with 806 participants – correlates to legal intensity. It seems quite plausible to me that general counsel in countries or industries that are buffeted by more legal issues – as reflected in their personnel rolls and total legal expenditures – feel compelled to pay more attention to management benchmarks.