for our annual Primerus Global Conference in Asheville, North Carolina. We had attendees from Brazil, Canada, Dominican Republic, Germany, Mexico, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and the United States. As we spent the weekend attending continuing legal education programs, official Primerus board and institute meet- ings, and social events, I was reminded of the countless success stories represented by the work of Primerus, its members and its clients. Sure, there are the referrals made and cases won, but the stories go far beyond that to clients who have found trusted advisors and lifelong friends, law firms that have made a profound difference in their communities, cultures that have been bridged and positive changes that have current and future impact on the legal profession. In this issue, you will read some of those stories, coming directly from our clients and Primerus members. And there are undoubtedly hundreds more success stories out there. One of the highlights of the Global Conference was when every Primerus member joined together to take the Six Pillar Pledge. Voices united, they stated: As a member of the International Society of Primerus Law Firms, I pledge myself and my firm: service and an excellent work product at a reasonable fee; and its importance to our society; serve my community; professional education and improvement; members of the bench and bar; in all decisions, large and small. Primerus attorneys do such a good job for their clients. Whenever an organization of people, working together as a team, renders outstanding service or makes great products, the secret is in the culture of the organization. Does the organization have very high values and expectations that all of its members must meet? Businesses such as the Ritz-Carlton hotel chain or the Rolex watch company are examples of organizations with very high expectations, and that is the primary reason their services and products are out- standing. Everyone on the team is working very hard to make sure that happens. Like- wise, the Primerus pledge that all members are expected to live by is the primary reason so many members and clients have a positive experience with Primerus. I think another reason Primerus is the respected global organization we are is because we are comprised of small to mid- sized firms. I can assure you the caliber of the lawyers in all Primerus firms is equal to those at the world's largest law firms. In fact, many of our attorneys left the largest own high quality boutique firms. At these firms, clients receive a higher level of per- sonalized, partner level service, at a much lower cost. Small and mid-sized firms have lower overhead, charge lower hourly rates, and they do not use their clients cases as a training ground for their young associates. If the client's matter is very large, requiring many lawyers to work on it, such as a large merger or a major intellectual property law suit, then the mega firms are the clients' best choice. But for the vast majority of other legal matters, the best choice for competence, value and service is a high quality, small to mid-sized firm like those in Primerus who have been very carefully screened and must meet our Six Pillar standards. But we all know it's tough to be a small, unaffiliated law firm without international connections in an increasingly global marketplace. That's where Primerus comes in. By joining together as nearly 200 firms in 45 countries around the world, we offer clients the advantages of small and mid- sized law firms combined with the global connections of big law firms. I look forward to seeing our members continue to revolutionize the legal profes- sion of the 21st century and create new success stories every day. |