Where should a law firm open its next office?

[Jaysen]

To help with this popular interview question, I will try to keep links/materials for different jurisdictions in this thread. Please feel free to contribute also.

Renewable energy in Africa: https://www.whitecase.com/publicati...m_source=LinkedIn&utm_content=LinkedInElevate

Foreign investment in Africa: https://www.thecorporatelawacademy.com/the-battle-for-africa/

 

[Jaysen]

@Daniel Boden's post on the Chinese One Belt One Road Initiative: https://www.thecorporatelawacademy.com/forum/threads/challenges-and-opportunities-for-law-firms.811/

 

[AJ]

Yes very popular question, for a number of reasons. I know of a firm where this is a mandatory question in all VS/TC interviews. They are heavily sector focused.

For them they don’t care which region/country you mention. It’s your reasons, and being able to link it back to their sectors and international strategy.

Be expected for follow up! So if you say Africa. Then where in Africa. Why not “X” country over “Y”. If China, then what are the regulatory obstacles. Why haven’t more firms been able to break into the market. How do you suggest “A” launch in “B” country. I.e what types of strategies have firms used to grow and expand.

 

[Salma]

Wish I had this thread/info last year

 

[Jaysen]

I've heard it come up at the following firms: Simmons & Simmons, HSF, Latham and Allen & Overy. I'm sure there are others.

 

[Jaysen]

This is a good article by Dechert on how Saudi Arabia is trying to transform its economy: https://info.dechert.com/10/9009/ju....asp?sid=851663ca-7486-4a0b-812e-a75d3c02aec4. It also raises the challenges for foreign investors who are interested in the region, such as determining how to value Saudi Aramco's assets and obtaining approval from regulators.

 

[Oliver Gilliland]

https://www.thelawyer.com/working-in-emerging-markets/

I think this article provides a good starting point - a lot of insight into different emerging markets.

 

[Salma]

Interesting stuff, thanks for sharing @Oliver Gilliland

 

[Jaysen]

A variety of reasons why you might want to suggest Ireland: https://www.thelawyer.com/international-law-firms-in-ireland/

 

[Jaysen]

India: https://www.thecorporatelawacademy.com/indias-diy-approach-needs-fixing/

 

[Camilla Gionso]

https://www.economist.com/leaders/2018/10/27/what-the-world-can-learn-from-australia

Read this a couple of weeks ago. Quite general but gives a good starting point on Australia.

 

[sxw517]

To help with this popular interview question, I will try to keep links/materials for different jurisdictions in this thread. Please feel free to contribute also.

Renewable energy in Africa: https://www.whitecase.com/publicati...m_source=LinkedIn&utm_content=LinkedInElevate

Foreign investment in Africa: https://www.thecorporatelawacademy.com/the-battle-for-africa/

H @Jaysen,

This is an interesting article re renewable energy in Africa, I thought that the difficulties/risks with opening up shop in Africa (regulatory concerns; government interference, bribery and corruption risk and difficulty in enforcing disputes) would far outweigh the benefits of an emerging market.

I was curious to know what you thought about the lack of MC law firm presence in Latin America, given Brazil and Argentina are rapidly growing economies with Chile also burgeoning. Not only are the economies fast-growing, but Chile for instance boasts an abundance of natural resources critical to the energy transition (most notably lithium).

I wonder why law firms are hesitant to expand into LA, with the opportunity that could come from a base in say Santiago or Sao Paulo?

 

[Jessica Booker]

H @Jaysen,

This is an interesting article re renewable energy in Africa, I thought that the difficulties/risks with opening up shop in Africa (regulatory concerns; government interference, bribery and corruption risk and difficulty in enforcing disputes) would far outweigh the benefits of an emerging market.

I was curious to know what you thought about the lack of MC law firm presence in Latin America, given Brazil and Argentina are rapidly growing economies with Chile also burgeoning. Not only are the economies fast-growing, but Chile for instance boasts an abundance of natural resources critical to the energy transition (most notably lithium).

I wonder why law firms are hesitant to expand into LA, with the opportunity that could come from a base in say Santiago or Sao Paulo?

In some cases, these jurisdictions are often serviced reasonably well from other locations, namely the US or even Spain/Portugal and the U.K, particularly if they have a best friends network with a local firm.

Given US and English law typically govern many international deals, you don’t necessarily need a lot of local jurisdictional advice and can therefore sometimes afford to not invest in that country. Starting up an office can often be quite a costly process too, which can often stop firms from opening offices in different locations.

 

[sxw517]

In some cases, these jurisdictions are often serviced reasonably well from other locations, namely the US or even Spain/Portugal and the U.K, particularly if they have a best friends network with a local firm.

Given US and English law typically govern many international deals, you don’t necessarily need a lot of local jurisdictional advice and can therefore sometimes afford to not invest in that country. Starting up an office can often be quite a costly process too, which can often stop firms from opening offices in different locations.

Thanks Jessica

 

[jamielidchi]

Why Africa is a continent brimming with opportunities for European law firms

Africa is consistently proving itself to be an attractive market and rapidly becoming one of the biggest players in the global economy. So how can law firms successfully expand to the market?

www.legalfutures.co.uk

I found this of interest, and it ties in with the African/Sub-Saharan Africa theme which I think is a solid narrative