How to handle international referrals? Best tips of Tim BECKER, lawyer based in Darmstadt, GERMANY, Former President of JURISMUS INTERNATIONAL. How do I get a referral? How do I give a case away? First contact Communication to the client Further correspondance Money! Closing of the case

1. INTERNATIONAL REFERRALS
SOME GUIDELINES FOR YOUNG LAWYERS
www.lindemannpartner.de
Dr. Tim Becker

2. RECHTSANWÄLTE DR. DR. LINDEMANN, DR. RIST & PARTNER, DARMSTADT
How do I get referrals
How do I give a case away
First contact
Communication to the client
Further correspondence
Money!
Closing of the case
www.lindemannpartner.de
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3. RECHTSANWÄLTE DR. DR. LINDEMANN, DR. RIST & PARTNER, DARMSTADT
How do I get a referral
 Be present
 Eurojuris events
 Jurismus events
 Country-specific
 Law-specific (PGs)
 Website presentation
www.lindemannpartner.de
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4. RECHTSANWÄLTE DR. DR. LINDEMANN, DR. RIST & PARTNER, DARMSTADT
How do I get a referral
 Be active
 Contact (don´t wait to be asked)
 Avoid people you already know
 Speeches / Articles / Interviews (inside & outside the
congresses)
www.lindemannpartner.de
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5. RECHTSANWÄLTE DR. DR. LINDEMANN, DR. RIST & PARTNER, DARMSTADT
How to receive referrals
 Be smart
 Find the interesting part of each participant
 Don´t let people stand alone
 Be competent
 Stay with your abilities
 Don´t bite off more than you can chew
www.lindemannpartner.de
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6. RECHTSANWÄLTE DR. DR. LINDEMANN, DR. RIST & PARTNER, DARMSTADT
How to receive referrals
 Be patient
 Take time to create trust and opportunity
 Be yourself
 Do not exagerate
www.lindemannpartner.de
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7. RECHTSANWÄLTE DR. DR. LINDEMANN, DR. RIST & PARTNER, DARMSTADT
How to find a lawyer
abroad
 Collect information
 Business cards
 Participation lists
 Ask people you trust
 e.g. national representatives of JURISMUS
www.lindemannpartner.de
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8. RECHTSANWÄLTE DR. DR. LINDEMANN, DR. RIST & PARTNER, DARMSTADT
How to find a lawyer
abroad
 www.eurojuris.net
 International Secretariat
 National Secretariats
 Mailing list
www.lindemannpartner.de
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9. RECHTSANWÄLTE DR. DR. LINDEMANN, DR. RIST & PARTNER, DARMSTADT
First Contact
 Email in advance (unknown / long-time-no-see contact)
 Mention Eurojuris („New Eurojuris Case“)
 Refer to why you choose this law firm / lawyer
 Fix the correspondence language
 Make it personal
 Talk about money
www.lindemannpartner.de
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10. RECHTSANWÄLTE DR. DR. LINDEMANN, DR. RIST & PARTNER, DARMSTADT
First Contact
 Ask for any national particularities
 Talk about your / the client´s expectations
 Time
 Money (e.g. reimbursements of costs / fees)
 Chances of success
www.lindemannpartner.de
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11. RECHTSANWÄLTE DR. DR. LINDEMANN, DR. RIST & PARTNER, DARMSTADT
Communication to the
Client
 Introduction of the law firm / the lawyer
 Name (if the case) a personal relation / experience
www.lindemannpartner.de
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12. RECHTSANWÄLTE DR. DR. LINDEMANN, DR. RIST & PARTNER, DARMSTADT
Communication to the
Client
 Introduce the international particularities
 In general
 Different procedures (e.g. time frame)
 Costs
 Secrecy provisions
www.lindemannpartner.de
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13. RECHTSANWÄLTE DR. DR. LINDEMANN, DR. RIST & PARTNER, DARMSTADT
Communication to the
Client
 Introduce the international particularities
 Case-related
 Things you know about the case-relevant procedure
 Share relevant knowledge provided by your colleague
 Ask for relevant information
www.lindemannpartner.de
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14. RECHTSANWÄLTE DR. DR. LINDEMANN, DR. RIST & PARTNER, DARMSTADT
Further Correspondence
 Shorten reaction times
 Name a substitute
 Agree upon the shares of work
www.lindemannpartner.de
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15. RECHTSANWÄLTE DR. DR. LINDEMANN, DR. RIST & PARTNER, DARMSTADT
Further Correspondence
 Be reliable
 Provide the best service level you may have
 Always answer to communication (if personal)
 If you cannot deal with a request immediately, tell when you
are going to answer
 Act proactively and tell in advance if any problems should
arise
 Hold to what you promise – to both sides, client and
colleague
www.lindemannpartner.de
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16. RECHTSANWÄLTE DR. DR. LINDEMANN, DR. RIST & PARTNER, DARMSTADT
Further Correspondence
 Dissolve any misunderstanding immediately
 ECC (Eurojuris Complaints Council)
www.lindemannpartner.de
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17. RECHTSANWÄLTE DR. DR. LINDEMANN, DR. RIST & PARTNER, DARMSTADT
Money!
 Talk, Talk, Talk
 Whenever appropriate, in any case at the first contact
 Short time invoicing
 Fee cap?
www.lindemannpartner.de
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18. RECHTSANWÄLTE DR. DR. LINDEMANN, DR. RIST & PARTNER, DARMSTADT
Money!
 Is the client ok?
 Is the colleague ok?
 Own costs
 Professional liability insurance
www.lindemannpartner.de
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19. RECHTSANWÄLTE DR. DR. LINDEMANN, DR. RIST & PARTNER, DARMSTADT
Money!
 Art. 5.7 CCBE
 In professional relations between members of Bars of different
Member States, where a lawyer … entrusts a correspondent
with a particular matter or seeks the correspondent´s advice,
the instructing lawyer is personally bound, even if the client is
insolvent to pay the fees, costs and outlays, which are due to
the foreign correspondent.
 Down payment
www.lindemannpartner.de
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20. RECHTSANWÄLTE DR. DR. LINDEMANN, DR. RIST & PARTNER, DARMSTADT
Closing the case
 Everybody satisfied?
 Everything paid?
 No hidden liability?
www.lindemannpartner.de
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21. RECHTSANWÄLTE DR. DR. LINDEMANN, DR. RIST & PARTNER, DARMSTADT
THANK YOU!
Dr. Tim Becker
Rechtsanwalt
Fachanwalt für Gewerblichen Rechtsschutz
www.lindemannpartner.de
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