LAWYER REFERRAL NETWORKS: How Can They Benefit Your Clients?

• Jurisdiction: United States
• Date: 01 September 2016
• Author: Ritzer, Heather

For business-to-business organizations like law firms, a solid network of referral sources is an important part of business development. Organized referral network organizations are designed to facilitate and formalize the development of collaborative relationships between law firms and other professional services organizations. Being able to generate solid business leads and pass along referrals for work that you are unable to take on either as a result of a conflict, lack of the requisite specialized expertise or a jurisdictional issue, among other potential reasons, can allow you to maintain relationships with both the prospective or established client and other law firms/professional service organizations.

International law firm referral networks claim they can provide a way of expanding a firm's footprint without making a merger or international presence necessary. They ostensibly provide the reach and range of practice areas required to serve their clients without issues such as political infighting, which can be destructive to establishing collaborative working environments.

But are these benefits also reaped by the law firm's clients? In other words, do referral networks only benefit the people who pay to join them or...