 Rather than lose the client to a larger international firm, networks allow firms to refer their clients to similar-sized members in another jurisdiction.Local firms find that sourcing reliable, English-speaking lawyers in foreign jurisdictions can be problematical and something of a lottery.Many firms believe that being part of a network minimises this risk and provides clients with reassurance that they will receive similar levels of service from any firm in the network

The leading law firm networks have developed significantly since the 1970s when most were perceived as clubs, rather than the significant, commercially driven organisations that most have since become.