Recent moves by some English firms to establish a presence in Australia seem to have re-ignited interest in the concept of the global law firm. This is good news, given it was not so long ago that it looked as if the global downturn would result in international law firms retrenching rather than expanding further.
It may be, though, that these moves are the exceptions that prove the rule. We may yet find that the downturn has accelerated the process of separating out those firms that are committed to becoming global and those that are not. The law firm looking for significant international growth in today’s economic and political environment faces a distinct set of challenges. There are four in particular to highlight.
