Chairman's Corner
The Value of Regional Meetings

 

Dear Friends and Colleagues:

It has been another active spring season (fall season if you reside in the southern hemisphere), with LAW regional meetings criss-crossing the globe, from Buenos Aires, Argentina (Americas), to Xiamen, PRC (Asia Pacific), to Porto, Portugal (Europe, Africa and Middle East). In each case, our LAW member host firm worked with our Executive Director and a planning team to prepare all of the meeting details. The host firms used these meetings and surrounding activities as opportunities to introduce Lawyers Associated Worldwide to the lawyers in their firms who were not already familiar with LAW and to clients and media in their respective jurisdictions. They also showcased their local histories and cultures and made the “regional meeting” experience a memorable one for all who attended. (See the other articles in this e-newsletter for additional meeting details.)

The value of LAW's regional meetings each year has been demonstrated time and time again. Delegates are more relaxed than at an Annual General Meeting, and there are fewer of them. They have more time and better opportunities to get to know other delegates and firms in their own regions, who are often the sources of regular, ongoing exchanges of business. As the delegates learn more about practice developments and new and emerging areas of expertise at other firms in the region, they are able to expand the description of legal services which they can offer to their own clients, by using the LAW network as an extension of their own firms.

Collaborative opportunities between firms often emerge from conversations between delegates at these meetings --- from the plenary sessions to small group activities, or even during a bus ride or a walk around the grounds of an ancient castle or at dinner following a meeting. Of course, contacts can always be made by phone and via email, but nothing can take the place of the personal bonding between delegates which occurs in our regional (and other) meetings.

Delegates from observer firms who have attended our meetings (both regionals and AGMs) routinely tell us that the camaraderie that takes place in LAW meetings is unique. It is an extremely valuable, intangible asset of membership in our association -- one which grows in importance each year as LAW continues to grow in size, complexity and value.

Thanks to all those who planned, all those who hosted, and all those who attended this year's regional meetings. They made each of our firms proud to be members of Lawyers Associated Worldwide.

Next up – the 2008 Annual General Meeting of LAW in Washington, D.C. on 17-20 September. I look forward to seeing all of you again at that time.

Sincerely,

Christopher C. McCracken
Chairman, Lawyers Associated Worldwide