The last I heard of Jones Day's Mickey Pohl, he was globe-trotting to oversee the international product-liability practice of his law firm. Seems his network includes Prince Charles.
But we have to wonder how really global is the reach of U.S. law firms which position themselves as international? Well, according to THE ECONOMIST, they have managed to pull that off pretty well. Given the cunning of lawyers, they can penetrate and make themselves at home in many legal systems. A useful read on that may be David B. Goldman's GLOBALISATION AND THE WESTERN LEGAL TRADITION. It captures what it calls "the recurring patterns of law and authority."
However, there have been fortresses which even the most clever attorneys haven't been able to get into. One, says THE ECONOMIST, is India. That's no newsflash since we all know that those Indian lawyers have carved out a nice niche for themselves in outsourcing. Actually, they have expanded that to process management, which is plenty more threatening.
Another relatively protected area is Canada. That's a shame since right now the economy of Canada is the envy of the world. Canada didn't sell off mortgages and have them cut up into bits and pieces. So, it's thriving economically.
Meanwhile, U.S. attorneys who want to protect their business in places like New York don't have a prayer. Anyone from anywhere who has a green card and a New York license to practice can do just that.
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