Law firms contemplating European Union (EU) expansion must first consider what they hope to gain by way of such a move. Invariably, expansion is driven by a perceived client need for advisers who can counsel across many jurisdictions in a competent and efficient manner. Firms looking to expand will also be keen to ensure that the service delivery from any overseas office is of the highest quality, mirroring, wherever possible, the high service standards clients have come to expect from the UK firm. But despite the best of intentions, this can be very difficult to achieve in a foreign jurisdiction.
People often comment on the difficulty of obtaining a ‘true’ merger between UK and US firms due to the many cultural differences between the UK and US style of doing business. Mergers between UK and European firms are no less complex: in fact, they can be even more challenging due to inherent language difficulties. When expanding overseas, it is important to demonstrate a working knowledge of your international colleagues’ language, as well as a patience and willingness to understand and work with them.
