There is a difference between the profession and the business of law. Good law firms recognise the difference and balance these two concepts in the manner they conduct their practice.

The first is the ethical responsibility that every lawyer has to the courts, their clients, the community and to themselves. This underpins the admission of lawyers to practice law in their region and their ability to continue being a lawyer with good repute and respect in the community.

The second deals with the carrying on of the business as a lawyer, which requires expert skills, up to date knowledge and efficient business practices to enable the quick completion of matters for every client; ultimately to provide a return to every stakeholder in the practice. It requires the business owners to ensure profits, growth, and sustainability.

Many law firms and lawyers have not prepared themselves for the internationalisation of trade in services resulting from various free trade agreements. They have not seen the liberalisation of trade in services as a threat or potential competition, which would require a re-think of their corporate strategy. Now, we are experiencing the influx of very large overseas law firms in Australia in association with existing Australian large law firms. This may suit some multi-national or large corporates but will not be suitable for others. Other firms  who do not have the resources or who have been ill prepared for these modern changes may adapt by increasing fees whilst others may not recognise this

threat and take no action at all.

Recognising these threats, as early as, the mid-90’s, it became necessary to set up a different plan and differentiate ourselves from other similar law firms, if we were to be competitive and avoid these overseas threats. We embarked on establishing a smaller practice on the overseas market by way of utilising our existing clients and markets, assistance from the Australian Government and perseverance.

In addition, given our smaller size, we took the time to evaluate several international networks that could be appropriate for our clients and provide international resources before selecting the best network. Because of this strategy, Behan Legal has been enjoying a good flow of work from overseas, and at the same time being able to provide services for Australian clients requiring assistance overseas.

Likewise, the plan required personal attention by each lawyer in the selective areas of practice resulting in Behan Legal focusing on the three core areas of knowledge:-'Business-Corporate-International.'

I hope you can benefit from some of the material set out in our website.

FRANCIS RUGGIERO
Principal Lawyer
AccS (Com)
Commercial Law Accredited Specialist