iStock image licensed by Walker Clark LLC - commercial reproduction prohibited

AILFN (Association of International Law Firm Networks) announced today Requests for Qualifications (RFQ) will launch on October 30, 2017. RFQ is an application that captures professional and personal relationships formed over three decades among  members of the 50 leading law firm networks at an estimated cost $1.5 billion dollars.  Network members range from small firms to firms with more than 1,000 attorneys. Collectively the 3,500 members of the networks already provide clients 17.1% of the world’s legal services.

RFQ permits real-time direct access for free to determine network member’s expertise in 150 countries. This expertise is available for routine matters to billion dollar acquisitions across multiple countries. The expertise of 300,000 attorneys is accessible in minutes.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., president of AILFN and founder of the world’s two largest law firm networks, Lex Mundi and World Services Group, whose independent law firms collectively have 40,000 attorneys in 1,200 offices, explains how RFQ opens the global market to all attorneys for the benefit of clients: “We live in a world where technology permits instant access to information for virtually everything. This is not the case in the legal profession where information remains fractionalized and inaccessible. Directories serve a purpose but do not provide real-time information by directly connecting potential clients with the exact expertise required. The 20th Century’s typical “Do you know an M&A lawyer in X?” is still asked many thousands of times a day. RFQ completely eliminates these questions everywhere on earth for every legal matter with several clicks”

Michael Reiss von Filski, Global CEO of GGI and Chairman of AILFN elaborated on why the RFQ system is open to non-member network members to receive referrals. “Opening participation of non-AILFN members dramatically increases the pool of expertise for the benefit of all clients. As lawyers our professional objective to locate the best advisors for our clients. All networks encourage their members to use fellow members because of the professional and personal relationships.  However, this is not always possible. No network covers 150 countries, firms may not have the expertise, and there are conflicts of interest. Corporate legal ops want to see,  and price alternative proposals. RFQ satisfies each of these considerations offering potential clients access to the exact expertise they require.”

For more information about the Association of Independent Law Firm Networks, click here to visit the AILFN website.