Law firms face citizenship test

English law firms operating abroad are set to face stronger demands to act as good 'corporate citizens', it has emerged.The Law Society has already begun work on beefing up best practice guidelines issued in June for firms opening offices overseas.The initial guidelines were fairly loose, focusing on the need to maintain good relations with the local Bar association from the start, and encouraging an early meeting where issues such as the firm's legal personality and scope of its work can be discussed.'Solicitors abroad often find it helpful to participate, ideally through the local Bar, in the social and other activities of the host legal community,' the guidelines said.However, with growing pressure on law firms to act in this field - the European Commission has just issued a green paper on corporate social responsibility - stronger measures are being considered.Jonathan Goldsmith, the Law Society's international director, said: 'The big new issue arising when international Bars meet is the extent to which those firms benefiting from globalisation will give back to the communities in which they now find themselves practising.'The discussions are understood to be at a preliminary stage.

However, the changes could take the form of extending pro bono schemes abroad - which some City firms already do in a limited fashion - offering training and mentoring to local lawyers, and support for local law societies and Bar associations.Given the possible conflict that could be caused by a firm providing financial backing for a law society in a country where it has an office, UK practices may be encouraged to support Bars in countries where they do not have a presence.Chris Perrin, Clifford Chance's deputy chief operating officer, said: 'We take [this issue] very seriously because a lot of our clients expect us to.' However, he added that it was left to individual offices to decide what action to take.But a representative of one international firm described the move as the Law Society 'trying to teach its grandmother to suck eggs'.In its own efforts to be a good corporate citizen, the Society runs a series of EU-funded international projects, most notably a four-year scheme in eight Middle East and North African countries.Mr Goldsmith added: 'The Law Society is trying to take the lead in this matter, both by its extensive funded projects and by the guidelines it recently issued on opening offices abroad.'Neil Rose