Selection for membership typically includes the following steps:
Identification and Engagement
- Clients, our strategic partners, the Board or Executive may recommend law firms in which they have personal knowledge and admiration, or they may identify target cities for expansion.
- Law firms interested in joining Interlaw may submit a Prospective Member Form.
- All applications are kept in strict confidence and every Prospective Member Form receives a personal and individual response.
- It is the entire law firm that becomes an Interlaw member, not just one individual lawyer. Therefore, it is essential that the decision-makers of your law firm support Interlaw membership and that the relationship with our organization is thoroughly integrated throughout the member firm.
Due Diligence Process
- The Executive thoroughly researches each legal market and profiles the independent law firms in that jurisdiction. Prospective members are assessed on their reputation among peers, accolades from non-biased respected journals and associations, capacity (number of lawyers and depth of expertise) to perform superior legal work for clients expanding beyond borders, breadth of practice areas, size, primary and branch office locations.
- Interlaw generally supports only one member firm in a city or jurisdiction.
- Following consultation with our existing strategic partners and the Board, firms with the strongest credentials are selected to be short-listed for possible membership.
- Short-listed firms then receive pertinent information about the benefits and responsibilities of Interlaw membership.
- If there is mutual interest to pursue membership, the prospective member firm submits a formal application and a senior lawyer from Interlaw or a member of the Board visits the prospective member firm as part of the due diligence process.
Post due diligence
- Based on the results of the due diligence a recommendation is made to the Board.
- Senior representatives of the selected firm are then invited to attend a regional or annual global meeting as an “official observer firm” to present their credentials to our strategic partners.
- Following the successful completion of this process the selected firm is then invited to become part of Interlaw's global operations.
Observer Firm Status
- At the discretion of both the Executive and Board potential new members may be invited to attend our regional or annual global meetings as "observer firms" in advance of submitting a formal application to join our organization.
- Attendance at these meetings provides both sides an opportunity to determine the benefits of formally pursuing potential membership.
