A multinational client asks two panel firms to open an office in a far-flung jurisdiction where the company has substantial operations. One firm sets about establishing the office, the other – an exponent of the need to have consistently high-quality advice across its entire network – politely declines and instead refers the client to a trusted local firm. Which approach will the client find most attractive?
In the current business climate, if a company slips up in one distant jurisdiction, it risks having the US, the UK and countless other regulators breathing down its neck. It would therefore not be surprising if our hypothetical client found favour with the firm that stuck its neck out and committed to setting up in that jurisdiction, even if the quality of service were not precisely the same as in London or New York.
