This year we’ve moved to a new format for The TerraLex Pulse publication, which is a periodic round up of all that is going on within the network. Starting with this edition, The Pulse is now a bi-annual update that will be published through our TLC platform. We hope you enjoy this retrospective on the multitude of collaborative activities that occurred between January and June 2023.
New Members
We were delighted to welcome three new members so far this year. Click on a firm's name to be taken to their website. They can also be found on the TerraLex website.
· Benjamin Valdez & Asociados (El Salvador)
· Gambe Law Group (Zimbabwe)
· Miras Legal (Kuwait)
New Processes, and Programs
In our drive towards continuous improvement, efficiency, and effectiveness, we changed some processes and added other new processes and programs.
- Quarterly Referral Reporting: We implemented quarterly referral reporting rather than an annual request for this data. We believe we will get a better response from members and facilitate the capturing of information that is helpful in assessing and evaluating the value of the network with our members, as well as identifying areas where we can implement improvement.
- Women Trailblazers: In connection with International Women’s Month in March, we launched a program in which members were invited to nominate a cohort of TerraLex Trailblazers. We were pleased to have the chance to shine a spotlight on our exceptional global group of women partners. These women have cultivated careers, challenged their legal skills, risen to partnership, developed into leaders as well as role models, and become inspirations for future generations. 2023 Trailblazers included:
o @Cynthia Allner (Miles & Stockbridge, USA – Maryland)
o @Marlen Estevez (Roca Junyent, Spain)
o @Gillian Keating (RDJ, Ireland)
o @Jennifer Parent (McLane Middleton, USA-New Hampshire)
o @Hristina Kosec (Gecić Law, Serbia)
o @Kelly Thomson (RPC, UK-England and Wales)
o @Kim M. Boyle (Phelps Dunbar, USA-Louisiana)
o @Nevine Abou Alam (Matouk Bassiouny, Egypt)
o @Kharla Aizpurua (Morgan & Morgan, Panama
o @Martha Boyd (Baker Donelson, USA-Tennessee)
o @Beatriz Rodríguez Gómez(Roca Junyent, Spain)
o @Tahlia Townsend (Wiggin and Dana, USA-Connecticut)
o @Leila Rafi (McMillan, Canada-Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta)
o @Sara Santacruz (Carrillo & Asociados, Guatemala)
o @Kelsey Funes (Phelps Dunbar, USA-Louisiana)
- No More Checks To Or From TerraLex: Following several instances in which checks that were sent to TerraLex or sent from TerraLex were stolen during transit or otherwise never reached their destinations, we established a new policy in which all payments in and out are to be made via wire transfers or ACH payments. For more information or questions on this policy, please contact @Cecilia Coronado, Administrative Manager. This applies to all payments, including annual dues. We appreciate the cooperation of our members and vendors.
- Volunteer Hub on TLC: TerraLex has many opportunities for members to get more involved in the network and help build their profile, connections, and personal networks. These opportunities are now easily identified in our new Volunteer Hub on TLC. There you’ll find a plethora of opportunities such as webinars, initiatives, and leadership roles. Some opportunities are short-term and virtual, opening participation in TerraLex to a broader group of people within our member firms. Visit TLC (log-in required) to see current opportunities or contact @Nicole Rudner, Director of Engagement, for more information.
New Business
More than ever Members are leveraging TerraLex to identify client opportunities and land new business. This is done through collaborative pitches, conversations with clients about the benefits of using the TerraLex network, member to member strategy sessions, and facilitation by our business development team to name a few. Here are a few of the many recent successes – consider sharing these with your clients so they can understand that there are many ways they can benefit from your firm’s TerraLex membership.
- Members participated in a quick-turnaround competitive proposal process to render data protection advice to a consumer goods client in 18 jurisdictions across the globe. The proposal was successful, the incumbent law firm was displaced, and member firms were able to deliver the advice needed within timescale and budget to a satisfied client.
- A European member pitched services in 30 jurisdictions to a long-time Fortune 500 manufacturing client, including TerraLex members, for real estate services. The proposal was successful, and work has commenced in a few jurisdictions with more coming on board over time.
- A South American member firm partnered with a European member firm to jointly pitch to a client contemplating a change of domicile. The two firms held combined meetings with the client to better understand the concerns and wishes of the client and present possible alternatives and as a result, both firms were retained to prepare a joint legal opinion.
- A US member’s client was looking to develop international sales/warranties in numerous countries throughout the world. Working with TerraLex’s Business Development team, an international team of members was pulled together, pitched to the client and the work is about to commence.
- Through an African member, firms in four jurisdictions worked with our Business Development team recently to submit a proposal to an energy client for services in those jurisdictions and are awaiting the results of the collaborative pitching endeavor.
- Our member in Saudi Arabia continues to bring many collaborative opportunities to TerraLex members across the globe, often emanating from governmental agencies in that country. Sometimes there is a long lead time between submitting proposals and hearing back from the agencies but it is proving worth the wait as a number of engagements have come to fruition, including a very large engagement being handled jointly with a member in Asia-Pacific.
Here are some stats that our Business Development team tracked for the first half of the year:
- 323 Referrals that Included TerraLex's Business Development Directors
- 310 member-to-member meetings, 268 of which occurred at the Global Meeting
- 26 Multi-Jurisdictional Proposals
- 125 Member Substantive and Collaborative Discussions
New Ideas
- TerraLex Africa: Following a successful Africa regional conference in Nairobi in March, hosted by Kenyan member MMAN, TerraLex African members developed their own unique brand, including the logo shown here.
The members in Africa have developed a plan for joint marketing and business development and are in the process of implementing many steps with the objective of gaining broad exposure and recognition for the opportunities in that region and for the excellent members there.
- Webinars and Programs: TerraLex maintains a robust schedule of webinars and other programs, featuring from our members (and sometimes clients or industry experts) and in response to current issues and opportunities facing clients and the law firm community. Programs in the first half of the year included the following.
o “Anti-Corruption in the Americas: 2022 Year in Review and Predictions for 2023” Webinar
o “A Founder’s Dilemma: Fundraising and Sourcing Talent.” (Part 2 of a three-part webinar series)
o “So, You Want to Be a Rainmaker: Here’s How” (A webinar featuring Pat Gillette, sponsored by TerraLex’s Women’s Global Committee, in connection with International Women’s Month)
o “A Conversation with Tom Cowgill,” Director and Co-Founder of Rewards4 (a specialist sports loyalty operator)
o “TerraLex Real Estate: ESG Focus Session” Webinar
o “TerraLex Life Sciences: FDA Regulation of AI & Cybersecurity Session” Webinar
o “FDA, AI, and Cybersecurity – Understanding how technology is changing the developments of and requirements for life science products in the United States” Webinar.
- Cross-Border Guides: We launched a new Cross-Border Guide in the first half of 2023. TerraLex’s Cross-Border Guide to ESG and Sustainable Finance, a joint venture of many members and led by @Martin K. Weber (Roesle Frick, Switzerland-Zurich) was presented by Martin at the recent Wolfsberg Forum on Sustainable Finance, which included over 40 major financial institutions around the world. The Guide has now been shared in the law departments of several prestigious clients.
- Podcasts: We continue to present new episodes of TerraLex INSights, our podcast which brings together the legal and business communities and present unique perspectives on a host of issues. Recent editions included best-selling author James Grippando, a representative of Kenyan’s Food 4 Education program Fayruz Adnan, and several of our TerraLex Trailblazers. The podcast is available wherever you normally get podcasts such as on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Play. We also always welcome your suggestions for interesting guests. This is a good opportunity for you to bring to your clients, who often like the chance to be featured on a podcast. Contact @Terri Pepper for more information or with your guest suggestions.
- Leadership Program: The third cohort of our Leadership Program launched in January. Participants go through eight sessions on subjects of interest to up and coming leaders, such as strategy, team dynamics, client service, business development, legal project management, personal branding, law firm economics, and communications. In its third year we now are seeing prior cohort members emerge in leadership roles in their firms and within TerraLex, fulfilling a goal of the program.
- Law Firm Leaders Roundtable (LFLRT): We continue to bring together those who lead their law firms for sessions on topics related to those roles. In the first half of the year the LFLRT featured a program called “Leading in Uncertain Times,” by Marcie Borgal Shunk of The Tilt Institute and a program during the Mexico City Global Meeting by Toby Brown on The Profit Model.
- Thought Leadership: We continue to bring the best of the best thinkers to TerraLex members through our meetings and events. During the Mexico City meeting we were pleased to present a session by Dr. Heidi K. Gardner, Distinguished Fellow at Harvard Law School, who spoke about the latest research on effective collaboration. We also welcomed Susan Hackett, CEO of Legal Executive Leadership, LLC, and former SVP and GC of the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC).
- New Brand-Building: We are aware that the bigger our brand, the easier it is for clients to consider a collaborative cross-border solution featuring teams of TerraLex members. To that end, we continue to focus on brand building for the network. A primary means of brand building is through targeted LinkedIn advertising, focused specifically on the client community. We also build our brand in conjunction with our members by having members feature TerraLex on their websites and in their pitches and marketing materials aimed at clients. We also help our members build their brands within the network. This year we launched the Top TLC User campaign, in which each month we recognize the member that made the most use of TLC and offer them a choice of rewards. Many winners select a short video interview that is designed to let other members get to know them better
New Opportunities
If you’re seeking opportunities for networking, collaboration, or business development, TerraLex is a target-rich environment. Here are but a few of the opportunities that were available in the first half of 2023.
· Mexico City Global Meeting: In May, 240 members and guests met in Mexico City for several days of education, sightseeing, networking, collaborating, and strategizing. Special thanks to our host firm Santamarina y Steta for their wonderful hospitality.
· Africa Regional Conference: In March, more than 30 members met in Nairobi for a regional conference that generated opportunities, action plans, and loads of new friendships and referral relationships. Special thanks to MMAN for their hosting and hospitality.
· ACC Sponsorships: Our ongoing sponsorships of the Association of Corporate Counsel’s Financial Services Network and Argentina chapter continue to bring new opportunities to our members.
· Member to Member Meetings: A popular feature at our Global meetings and in the months between meetings, these sessions are facilitated by TerraLex’s business development team and help members uncover synergies and opportunities with other members around the world. To participate contact @Andrea Wilt, @Tim Shannon, or @Mark Grant.
· Practice Group Sessions Occur Regularly:
o Americas Bankruptcy/Insolvency Practice Group Meeting - Monterrey, Mexico (hosted by Santamaina y Steta)
o Regulatory Investigations and White-Collar Crime Virtual Session
o Real Estate PG Virtual Discussion
o Women in Bankruptcy & Insolvency Virtual Discussion
o TerraLex Intellectual Property, Licensing & Technology Virtual Session
· Connections: Law Firm GCs in TerraLex firms recently completed a survey about their roles and are being joined together via TLC so they can learn from and support each other in this unique role.
· INTA (Singapore) – During this conference, member firm Kelvin Chia Partners hosted a TerraLex dinner.
· Substantive Working Groups: These groups have been formed to explore opportunities in several trending or emerging areas. Anyone interested in participating in or leading a working group should contact @Nicole Rudner. The current groups are:
o AI
o Government Relations/Lobbying
o Cryptocurrency
o Executive Compensation & Benefits