Page 33 - The Handbook - Legal and Accounting Networks 81
P. 33
Law and Accounting Networks and Associations
Today there are 10 multidisciplinary networks outside of the Big 4. The largest is in legal and accounting.
World Services Group (WSG), Geneva Group International, and MSI International are Level 3 networks with
a highly developed technology that creates complete transparency. WSG is the largest group with almost
20,000 professionals.
Specialty Networks – Boutiques
Specialty networks have arisen as separate and distinct models from the general legal, accounting, and
multidisciplinary areas that cover a wide range of industries and practices. While the other networks have
developed practice and industry groups, the specialty networks have focused on a single industry or practice.
Today there are 41 specialty networks. The primary networks are in tax, employment, intellectual property,
insurance, and immigration. These networks are generally Level 2, primarily because this level meets the needs
of the members.
The specialty networks are mainly focused on the legal profession; however, several of the specialty networks
are themselves multidisciplinary. Specialty networks tend to be Level 2 if the focus of the practice does not
allow for a large budget that is necessary to promote the network. The networks are internally focused because
only specific practitioners participate in them.
One network has been created as a network of small boutique firms in a wide range of specialties. Each member
has access to the specialties of the other boutiques firms. In this way the network is a general network. Each
of the boutiques that have the same practices also has their own boutique practice networks.
The Future
With more than 170 networks already in existence, law firm networks are here to stay; the issue will be their
status. Today networks in the legal profession do not have the same level of respect that is found in the field
of accounting. The reason could be that the large New York and London firms were the first to proactively
globalize. The networks were more of a reaction to this globalization rather than an organized proactive
strategy. Perhaps legal networks were originally tarnished because they originated as clubs or even franchises
in reaction to other development.
However, this is perception is about to change, because many of the elite law firms are themselves also
searching for more flexible model. The Big 4 have now organized their own legal networks under the umbrella
of their existing accounting and consulting networks of independent firms. As these models are better
understood, the lines between a network and a law firm may blur.
The verein is a model that permits the firms to use the same brand name and have similar attributes as
accounting networks such as the Big 4.151 However, the verein firms may be closer to having independent firms
than the market perceives.152 The fact they may not share revenues but do share expenses raises other issues.153
149 Don G. Rushin et. al,, Building the Virtual Law Firm Through Collaborative Work Teams, ACCA DOCKET (Oct. 2001), kuchlerpolk.com/wp-
content/uploads/2014/03/accadocketarticle.pdf: “Why did DuPont Legal create a virtual law firm? What is the payoff? We believe that significant
competitive advantages flow to a company that can build a team consisting of inside counsel and members of outside law firms and various service
providers, such as accountants, jury consultants, and document management specialists, who have the skill sets required by a legal matter and who are
capable of working smoothly and effectively together. Such a team would be dedicated to the company’s interests and knowledgeable about the
company’s business and case-handling processes. Through shared technology, members of such a team could easily communicate.”
150 See TRUSTLAW, www.trustlaw.org.
151 Id.
152 Dentons absorbed Dacheng in November of 2015, almost doubling in size. Dacheng itself is a group of independent firms that were not fully
integrated. Yun Kriegler, Dacheng: We're Not Grown Up Enough to Merge – Yet, THE LAWYER (May 2, 2014), www.thelawyer.com/analysis/behind-
the-law/the-leadership-interview/dacheng-were-not-grown-up-enough-to-merge-yet/3020112.article?adfesuccess=1.
21
Today there are 10 multidisciplinary networks outside of the Big 4. The largest is in legal and accounting.
World Services Group (WSG), Geneva Group International, and MSI International are Level 3 networks with
a highly developed technology that creates complete transparency. WSG is the largest group with almost
20,000 professionals.
Specialty Networks – Boutiques
Specialty networks have arisen as separate and distinct models from the general legal, accounting, and
multidisciplinary areas that cover a wide range of industries and practices. While the other networks have
developed practice and industry groups, the specialty networks have focused on a single industry or practice.
Today there are 41 specialty networks. The primary networks are in tax, employment, intellectual property,
insurance, and immigration. These networks are generally Level 2, primarily because this level meets the needs
of the members.
The specialty networks are mainly focused on the legal profession; however, several of the specialty networks
are themselves multidisciplinary. Specialty networks tend to be Level 2 if the focus of the practice does not
allow for a large budget that is necessary to promote the network. The networks are internally focused because
only specific practitioners participate in them.
One network has been created as a network of small boutique firms in a wide range of specialties. Each member
has access to the specialties of the other boutiques firms. In this way the network is a general network. Each
of the boutiques that have the same practices also has their own boutique practice networks.
The Future
With more than 170 networks already in existence, law firm networks are here to stay; the issue will be their
status. Today networks in the legal profession do not have the same level of respect that is found in the field
of accounting. The reason could be that the large New York and London firms were the first to proactively
globalize. The networks were more of a reaction to this globalization rather than an organized proactive
strategy. Perhaps legal networks were originally tarnished because they originated as clubs or even franchises
in reaction to other development.
However, this is perception is about to change, because many of the elite law firms are themselves also
searching for more flexible model. The Big 4 have now organized their own legal networks under the umbrella
of their existing accounting and consulting networks of independent firms. As these models are better
understood, the lines between a network and a law firm may blur.
The verein is a model that permits the firms to use the same brand name and have similar attributes as
accounting networks such as the Big 4.151 However, the verein firms may be closer to having independent firms
than the market perceives.152 The fact they may not share revenues but do share expenses raises other issues.153
149 Don G. Rushin et. al,, Building the Virtual Law Firm Through Collaborative Work Teams, ACCA DOCKET (Oct. 2001), kuchlerpolk.com/wp-
content/uploads/2014/03/accadocketarticle.pdf: “Why did DuPont Legal create a virtual law firm? What is the payoff? We believe that significant
competitive advantages flow to a company that can build a team consisting of inside counsel and members of outside law firms and various service
providers, such as accountants, jury consultants, and document management specialists, who have the skill sets required by a legal matter and who are
capable of working smoothly and effectively together. Such a team would be dedicated to the company’s interests and knowledgeable about the
company’s business and case-handling processes. Through shared technology, members of such a team could easily communicate.”
150 See TRUSTLAW, www.trustlaw.org.
151 Id.
152 Dentons absorbed Dacheng in November of 2015, almost doubling in size. Dacheng itself is a group of independent firms that were not fully
integrated. Yun Kriegler, Dacheng: We're Not Grown Up Enough to Merge – Yet, THE LAWYER (May 2, 2014), www.thelawyer.com/analysis/behind-
the-law/the-leadership-interview/dacheng-were-not-grown-up-enough-to-merge-yet/3020112.article?adfesuccess=1.
21
