Q: For a routine instruction, how important are the following criteria when selecting a firm?
(1 = not at all important, 5 = expected, 10 = essential)
Analysis of the responses to this question from clients in the UK and US exposes marked differences between client priorities in the two jurisdictions. Scores are illustrated proportionally on the graphs below and to the right.
Most obviously, the data shows that the quality of a law firm’s team is of primary importance for clients on both sides of the Atlantic, but particularly in the US. In the financial sector, where responses generally are not as effusive, the value placed on a decent team is relatively significant.
Companies in the UK are generally more likely to stress the importance of diversity within teams used on their work than their peers in the US, and it is in this criteria that the greatest variations between different industries may be seen. Financial and transport/shipping sectors appear to lag behind other industries in considering the importance of diversity when choosing legal advice.
As for innovation and technology, a divergence between US and UK technology and telecoms companies is apparent in industries where greater awareness and interest might be expected. In the US, AI and technology developments in law firm offerings are clearly regarded as significant advantages, but they appear at the moment to be regarded a little more apathetically by UK tech clients.
James Wood, editor, The Client Intelligence Report