background image
8
T H E P R I M E R U S P A R A D I G M
Reinier Russell is the managing partner at Russell Advocaten, a Primerus
member firm in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. He is a member of the Primerus
Board of Directors and the Primerus Quality Assurance Board.
We have experienced tremendous benefit from the Primerus brand showing our clients
that we are part of a global legal family that is there for them if they have legal needs
anywhere in the world.
We have put the Primerus "P" logo on items including peppermints, pencils, match-
boxes, stationery, business cards and flags outside our office. We have memo cubes on our
conference room tables that show the Primerus "P," and people often ask about it. Our
clients are very interested in learning more about Primerus.
The global focus of Primerus is very important to them. It gives our clients comfort
knowing that if they have legal needs anywhere in the world, we can help them with a
referral. For example, one of our clients had a legal problem in California. We connected
him with Primerus member firm Neil, Dymott, Frank, McFall & Trexler in San Diego,
and within 24 hours we had a discussion paper on the matter. The client is now working
directly with that firm for other cases.
As a member of Primerus' Quality Assurance Board, I believe it's critical to maintain
the highest of quality standards among our membership so that we can easily promote and
rely on one another as if we were colleagues in the same firm. As an attorney, the relation-
ships and experiences I have had through Primerus have benefited me greatly. I have
learned a lot about the legal profession around the world, and I now have a much broader
picture on how the profession will evolve in the future.
Elizabeth Robertson is Chief Litigation Counsel for Crawford &
Company in Atlanta, Georgia. She is also a member of the board of
the Georgia Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC).
I became involved with Primerus because of my role as the Vice
President of the Special Programs Committee of the Georgia
Chapter of the ACC. I worked with Primerus staff to plan the
Primerus Business Law Institute Symposium in June 2013 at the
Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta. In April 2013, I also attended the
Primerus Defense Institute Convocation in Boca Raton, Florida.
As a result of getting to know Primerus, I hired the Primerus
member firm Zizik, Powers, O'Connell, Spaulding & Lamontagne
in Boston to handle a case. I have been very pleased with the
quality of legal services provided by Mr. Zizik and his staff, their
responsiveness to my company's needs and their professionalism.
What I like about Primerus and its member firms is that
they offer an excellent alternative to the mass market large
firms. Sometimes you need a law firm that has more flexibility in
management and that offers a better value. I also like that you
know what the organization stands for and that they have a strict
vetting process for quality before admitting and retaining a firm.
From what I have seen, the Primerus network is a good place to go
for high quality legal work and good value.
Also, one of the most important things I look for in outside
counsel is someone I can trust. Based on my interactions with
Primerus attorneys and positive feedback from other clients, they
are very genuine and aligned with the interest of my company. At
the PDI Convocation, a Primerus attorney gave opening remarks
and shared that, just weeks before, he had witnessed the horrifying
events that took place at the Boston Marathon. He concluded his
presentation by encouraging Primerus members to call one of
their clients when they returned to their offices the following week
just to ask them how they can help them ­ whether personally or
professionally. He said that lawyers ought to be in the business of
doing good. I don't often hear this type of perspective expressed
at professional events and found it very refreshing. Knowing that
someone is committed to doing the "right thing" is an important
factor that I consider when making a decision about who to partner
with on a case. Ultimately, I want someone I can trust and whose
conduct reflects my company's values.
Finding People I Can Trust
The Power
of a Quality
Brand