What is an International Law Firm?
Comprised of legal representatives and specialists, an international law firm is a special legal agency that maintains offices throughout the world. An international law firm is distinct from a smaller firm that typically specializes in just a few areas of law. Because of its size and global presence, an international law firm maintains specialists in nearly every field of law.
As a distinct sub-set, international law refers to the set of rules that are typically regarded as binding in relations between nations or foreign states. International law differs from a domestic legal system in that it only focuses on nations rather than private citizens. So, for the sake of this article, we will focus on international law firms, meaning those entities that possess offices overseas. These types of law firms are the biggest in the world and typically deal with the formation of large business deals, representing high-profile clients or litigating over matters that capture world-wide headlines.
The term “international law firm” may be synonymous with an agency that houses legal specialists who practice international law; however, because of this field’s heavy government influence, an “international law firm” is merely a business that is comprised of multiple law firms throughout the world.
Because of their size and global presence, an International law firm typically possesses a different hierarchy and payment structure, when compared to smaller or regional firms. An international law firm recruits the majority of their legal professionals from law schools throughout the world. When employed, these individuals are placed in regimented training programs where they are required to work long hours and partake in various aspects of law. The bulk of an international law firm’s business derives from major corporations.
A big business will not employ a regional lawyer to develop contracts or battle in court over trademark, copyright issues etc. Therefore, the bulk of an international law firm’s clients are big businesses, government bodies, non-profit organizations or wealthy private citizens. Moreover, it is rare for an international law firm to partake in some of the pettier areas of law. For instance, you will not see an International law firm representing a client charged with INTERNATIONAL or petty robbery. Due to their power, size and talent, an international law firm will position itself with only the biggest and most influential deals or transactions. That being said, an International law firm may be a suitable means of representation for you. If so, it is important to understand how to search for—and subsequently hire—an international law firm.
How do I Evaluate an International Law Firm?
The best way to evaluate an international law firm is through personal experience. However, considering the sheer size and case matter, it is unlikely for a private citizen to have any dealings with an international law firm. As a result, the best way to evaluate these entities is to simply go by reputation and observe their client base, their pool of talent and their accomplishments. In most cases, an international law firm’s reputation will precede the firm itself. The sheer size of the firm and the transactions it litigates over are two quantifiable traits that denote reputability.
Searching for International Law Firms:
To conduct research on or to locate an international law firm you can simply conduct internet searches or contact your local state’s bar association. Both resources will illuminate on the particular firm’s presence abroad.
When searching for an international law firm, please partake in the following steps:
• Before searching for an international law firm, understand that an international law firm does not practice a particular field of law. The term merely denotes the presence of offices abroad; international law is a separate field that involves dealings between government agencies/bodies. So, with that in mind, if you would like to procure information concerning an international law firm, please observe the following.
• To find a list of international law firms near your residence or current locations, search the Internet (by accessing GOOGLE or other search engines) for international law firms in your area. To make the search particular to your location, utilize the engine’s “maps” or “local” feature and then proceed with your search as you normally would. When specifying the search, the engine should yield a list of all international law firms in your area.
• After compiling a list of prospective international law firms you must conduct due diligence on each. The goal of this process is to procure as much information as possible on each law firm. To do this, you must search the international law firm’s name plus “testimonials”, “reviews”, “information”, “articles” etc. information from these searches will illuminate each international law firm’s effectiveness and reputability. If a firm has negative reviews—if previous clients bash the firm over the Internet—you should seek more information or assume they are comprised of undesirable legal professionals. After conducting these searches, you should visit the firm’s website and view each attorney’s biographical information. If the website is amateurish or done in poor taste you may not want to give them your business. Remember, this is your decision, so eliminate those international law firms that rub you the wrong way.
• In addition to the above information, you should contact—via telephone or by visiting their website– your state’s bar association. This database will provide licensing information on every legal professional in the state. It is necessary to ensure that your prospective international law firm is licensed and in good standing with the state. If you uncover any sort of disciplinary action taken against the firm you should remove them from your list.
• The above information should be considerable in weeding out those international law firms that you see as unfit. After narrowing your list, you must contact the remaining international law firms to schedule preliminary meetings or consultations. These meetings, which may cost you a couple hundred dollars, are necessary to discuss your case and to get a feel for your prospective international law firm.
Fees Associated with International Law Firms:
As stated above, an international law firm typically works with big businesses, government agencies or other entities to finalize contracts or affirm that their dealings adhere to the respective jurisdiction’s laws. Because of this operation, the bulk of international law firms operate under a contract or hourly basis. Under a contract, their client promises to provide a lump sum payment for services rendered. If the work exceeds expectations or the case is exceedingly complex, the international law firm may raise the cost. If you are looking to secure the aid of an international law firm you can expect to pay a hefty sum through either a retainer or flat-fee arrangement.
