Solos & Smalls Can Get Big Law Referrals by Joining the NextLawNetwork

Looking for referrals? If you’re tired of spending hundreds of dollars monthly on Pay-per-click , offering discounted flat rate services and paying a finders’ fee for the privilege  or participating in utterly useless and outdated bar referral programs, you may want to consider joining  the Next Law Network – sponsored by none other than Dentons , one of the world’s largest law firms.

According to the Press Release, Dentons hopes to “disrupt the pay-to-play legal referral industry with a free, quality-based referral network.” The Press Release continues:

any firm in the world may apply to be considered for membership. Applicants are vetted by a panel consisting of partners of Dentons, partners of other member firms, and other general counsel, who evaluate each applicant based on a number of criteria, including client feedback, independent third-party quality rankings, awards and accolades, and unique practice and/or sector expertise.

Both Dentons and solo and small law firms stand to benefit from the network. From Denton’s perspective, the network gives the firm ready access to pre-vetted talent that can take on those cases that Dentons chooses to decline due to inadequate expertise with the subject matter, conflict of interests (a problem for Dentons in the past ) or a potential client’s inability to afford Dentons’ rates. And for a firm the size of Dentons, that’s a lot of cases: just last year, Dentons referred work to just under 1000 law firms.  Moreover, even though Dentons doesn’t charge for the network, by providing the service, the firm increases the likelihood that others will refer it business. Indeed, last year, Dentons received 500 inbound referrals.

As for solos and smalls, the NextLawNetwork offers an an opportunity to compete for referrals on the basis of merit rather than money. But would Dentons’ really have cases to send to solos and smalls? I think so.  For starters, Dentons service doesn’t come cheap, so clients with sophisticated, but nevertheless routine regulatory compliance matters, may seek an alternative, that Dentons can readily recommend through its network. In addition, bear in mind that big law partners and biglaw clients are people too, often requiring assistance with smaller legal matters — such as representation of a CEO’s son in a DUI case, or counseling a law firm partner’s wife hoping to incorporate an online business.  Entrenched in the world of biglaw, these prospective clients really don’t know many “real” lawyers, and aren’t likely to rely on search engines or Avvo’s star-rating system to find one. Yet, they’ll readily hire a solo or small firm lawyer referred by a another large firm like Dentons.

Right now, NextLaw hasn’t started accepting applications to join, but you can go to the website for NextLaw Network  and register to receive notification when the referral network opens.  Why not sign up – you have nothing to lose.