Cross-border work continues to play a significant part in many lawyers’ practices, and as work increases in complexity and clients expect more, a trusted network of law firms becomes a competitive advantage.

Several pressures are driving demand in cross-border work, including:

• Regulatory and geopolitical complexities which mean more matters have a foreign element
• Clients’ businesses and their own supply chains which are often more international
• Clients increasingly expecting one point of contact – with one lawyer overseeing the whole matter

In 2025, we reported 58 referrals across 12 areas of law at Interact Law – a significant number for a relatively small legal network. We believe referral activity helps act as an indicator of success and are proud to have strong, mission-aligned members from key jurisdictions who deepen our geographic reach and breadth of expertise.

Why Referrals Are a Differentiator

Clients assess the firm they hire, not the one they pass work on to. A strong referral therefore protects and deepens the client relationship, whilst also being a far more effective way for a client to secure counsel vs. a cold introduction. Within a network environment like Interact Law, reciprocity also exists whereby firms refer work and often receive it back – this is business development in action without the cost usually associated. At Interact Law, relationships tend to be built through deep cross-border friendships forming around conferences, which gives all parties a solid foundation for success.

How to Set Up a Solid Referrals Practice

Over time, our members have shown us several key ingredients for a successful referrals practice:

• Know the partners and always have a complete and up-to-date view of each member firms’ practice strengths;
• Make any introduction personal and precise – brief the receiving firm fully and include all of the client’s objectives, timings and sensitivities;
• Agree expectations upfront including who leads client communication and follow up;
• Follow up with the referring firm by thanking them, sharing outcomes and exploring ways for even better collaboration in the future; and
• Encourage colleagues beyond the one or two main Interact Law contacts to build relationships at other firms so referrals don’t just depend on one person

Tracking Referrals

At Interact Law, we track referrals at the end of each month so we can see where work is coming from and heading to. We use the data to assess what’s working, where there are gaps and to share practice-specific and broader trend updates with members. We try to keep referrals member-focused rather than technical and always encourage members to engage with our referrals programme by sharing which jurisdiction(s) they’d like to build a stronger relationship with.

Next Steps

At a time and in a market where clients have many options, the strength of Interact Law lies in the deep and trusted relationships our members have formed across key jurisdictions. If there is a jurisdiction or practice area where you would like to form stronger relationships, speak to Marjolijn or Bonnie who can support you in developing a plan. And if you haven’t attended an Interact Law conference yet, do come along, as the friendships formed there are what often turn a contact into a referral.