DELEGATION: government-backed trip deemed 'very useful' as solicitors harvest contacts

Solicitors from smaller law firms who joined a pioneering delegation to the recent International Bar Association (IBA) conference have pronounced the experiment a success.


Lawyers from eight practices went to Chicago, supported by the Law Society and government body UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), to learn whether the largest annual international legal gathering offered opportunities for smaller firms.


Maitland Kalton, of two-partner technology firm Kaltons in London, said he travelled with the aim of finding links with Dubai, Australia and the US. 'I made a handful of really good contacts and have the beginnings of relationships that will turn into clients,' he said. The key thing now, he went on, is to follow them up.


Mr Kalton also runs Lawyers for Change, a new not-for-profit organisation that explores how lawyers can improve the way they work while also improving their public perception. It already has almost 200 members, and Mr Kalton said there was 'a resoundingly positive response' to the concept in Chicago, with the IBA itself among those to express interest.


Philip Hyland, who runs specialist employment firm PJH Law in Lincolnshire, said: 'It was useful to meet colleagues from overseas to benchmark what you're doing, and also identify some opportunities to export work. I made contacts with a number of firms overseas, some of whom have already contacted me.'


Two lawyers from 33-partner Leicester firm Harvey Ingram were in the delegation, and assistant Andrew Wilkinson agreed that it had been a 'very useful' trip. They held meetings with a variety of firms to develop ongoing relationships, especially in Asia. He echoed Mr Kalton and Mr Hyland in saying they hoped to go to next year's conference in Singapore.


All participants praised the help and advice of the Law Society and UKTI, which both had representatives in Chicago, along with the British Consul in the city, while UKTI offered grants to offset the conference registration fee. The pair also run the 'Passport to export' scheme, offering firms subsidised advice and support on developing their practices overseas (see (2006) Gazette, 15 June, 8).


Alison Hook, the Law Society's head of international, said: 'It was a really positive experience from our point of view and added an extra dimension to our involvement in the IBA. We would definitely like to repeat this exercise in Singapore.'


Neil Rose