Many (in fact, probably, all) of our law firm contacts around the world have in the past week or so been posting on LinkedIn about their personal and firm rankings in the latest lawyer directories.
The directory season reminds me of some research we did a few years ago around the theme of "so what?" In other words, does it matter if you're ranked or not? Is it worth taking part in the whole, always time-consuming, process?
The answer we got, and which I thought I should share, was more nuanced than a straightforward yes/no.
It appears that rankings are really often just 'vanity' in the home market – in-house counsel know in their own country who they like to work with, who they rate personally, who they know, who they went to law school with, trained with, worked for or managed in the past, and that is overwhelmingly why they choose who they choose.
But it seems that in-house counsel (and counsel in private practice) looking for external lawyers based in another country use the directories in two ways.
Less often, they simply go to the directories, and see who is top of the rankings – I've always wanted to set up a law firm called Aaron Aardvark Advocates, so I'd be alphabetically at the top. Of course, 111 Aaron Aardvark Advocates would come above my firm, and 000 etc., etc., etc.
But more often, they use the directories to confirm whatever recommendation they have had – if I suggest you use a particular firm in country X, seeing them ranked in the directories helps justify your decision to work with them.
So, don’t take rankings as absolute truth – unless, of course, you are ranked number 1! - but don’t dismiss them – and if you are ranked: well done!!