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The Trend:

As large law firms continue to move into smaller markets, the value proposition is clear: the ability to tap into enticing talent, be closer to valuable clients and add offices with lower overhead costs.

But while Big Law firms often make a big splash when they first enter these locales, staying power is much harder to establish.

The Driver:

As Law.com's Brenda Sapino Jeffreys recently reported, growth-minded firms have been moving into emerging markets at a rapid clip, flooding into cities like Austin, Texas; Salt Lake City; Nashville, Tennessee; Denver; Phoenix; and Miami in search of new opportunities. The launches are overwhelmingly client-driven, either directed by work for existing clients in an emerging market or fueled by the lure of work from expanding industries.