Diplomats and lawyers hammer out strategy to market UK's services abroad

COMMERCIAL OFFICERS: coherent policy achieved for promoting legal work in key markets

Diplomats and lawyers hammered out strategies for marketing the UK's legal services abroad last week in the first programme to educate diplomatic commercial officers in opportunities for the legal market.

Diplomats representing 20 countries as diverse as Iran and the US concluded the week's events in small focus groups with Law Society international staff, devising methods for promoting legal services within their jurisdictions (see [2003] Gazette, 26 June, 3).

Agreed tactics included closer co-ordination of foreign visits made by the Society, government ministers and the Lord Mayor of London to target specific issues such as practice rights, and organising seminars and English law initiatives overseas to attract interest from local business communities.

London-based legal delegates participating in the week said commercial officers could alert UK lawyers to privatisations and public tender contracts arising in their countries, and that they could also keep tabs on disputes developing overseas to see whether these might offer dispute resolution opportunities for English lawyers.

Diplomats encouraged lawyers to use overseas embassies more regularly when carrying out international business, and to make more effort to carry out scoping visits to countries.

Global giant Clifford Chance was one of several City firms to make presentations to the diplomats during the week.

Partner Tim Schwarz said: 'The message we came away with - loud and clear - was that British diplomats around the world will support British law firms to the hilt in winning work, however difficult the political environment, and however entrenched the vested interests.'

Alison Hook, the head of international at the Law Society, said: 'The week has given us a fantastic opportunity to bring together everyone involved in the export of legal services, from the firms doing the work to those supporting their efforts in government and the Lord Mayor's office.

We have the beginnings of a coherent strategy for promoting English legal services in key markets.'

Law Society Vice-President Peter Williamson told delegates that the international priorities for his presidential year - which begins later this month - will be Japan, Korea, India, Singapore and Malaysia, all of which he intends to visit.

Jeremy Fleming