Most of us are familiar with a typical referral – a lawyer that you’ve built up a relationship with who has need of your practice expertise or a client with work in your jurisdiction will call you up and ask for your assistance. At times, they will pass your name directly to their client to contact you directly. In either scenario, it is a one-to-one relationship from one party to another.

This is the way that many firms outside of, and sometimes inside of, law firm networks view the referral concept and on which they were founded. Networks were developed to build cohesive, collaborative environments that foster the strong relationships that make these referrals possible. Globalization in the legal market in the late 1980s and beyond required either this model, or mergers with larger firms, or firms opening offices in overseas’ markets.

In today’s global world, however, we’ve moved well past this to an even further collaborative model, and networks are challenging their members to think even more proactively. This takes two forms:

Examining their current clients to see where they may have needs in your jurisdiction, along with one or more jurisdictions where you have existing relationships, and pursuing that work as a flexible team of firms or lawyers from those firms.

Identifying completely new opportunities for multiple members to work together to pitch on.

Read more: http://www.zenlegalnetworking.com/2017/10/driving-collaboration-beyond-the-traditional-referral-for-mid-sized-firms/