Acritas and InsideCounsel magazine, a publication of Summit Business Media, have formed a strategic partnership to enable the in-house legal community to access current, robust data about the legal market and peer group thinking. Quarterly results will be shared with InsideCounsel readers via articles, the website and Acritas' Sharp Talking Heads panel for in-house counsel.

Acritas is conducting structured telephone interviews with general counsel and senior in-house legal executives over the next 7 months. All in-house survey participants will be invited to join Acritas' Sharp Talking Heads Panel where they can access detailed insights from the survey, best practices and strategies for in-house legal and network with their peers.

Law firms can access the data on a monthly, quarterly and end of year basis via www.sharptalkingheads.com.

“This partnership provides Acritas an excellent media platform to develop corporate legal insight from the US market,” said Jo Summers, Director at Acritas. “InsideCounsel is an established and favored brand within the in-house legal community, and it is great to be working together to provide the latest knowledge to the in-house counsel community.”

As a result of this partnership, InsideCounsel will be able to provide their readers with the latest statistical information coming directly from the in-house bar.

“It's critical in-house counsel stay in-the-know about the best practices their peers are implementing with their outside counsel in response to the struggling economy,” said Cathleen Flahardy, editor of InsideCounsel. “Our relationship with Acritas will give us access to relevant statistics that will allow us to fulfill our promise to provide these critical business insights for in-house legal professionals.”

Acritas' Sharp Legal survey is the largest international survey of legal in-house executives. Acritas interviews more than 3,000 respondents from large- and medium-sized organizations across the world, including 1,000 senior in-house legal executives in the U.S.

The survey measures the brand position of all major law firms operating in those markets. In 2008, 40% of respondents in the U.S. had revenues of more than $1 billion including 100 Fortune 1000. The remainder is spread from $50 million up to $1 billion. Legal buyers reveal their attitudes, behaviors and experiences of dealing with law firms today.

Acritas has also launched a 'Global Elite' version of the study, which will comprise 1,000 interviews with international senior in-house legal executives from the world's largest organizations across the globe. This study is being supported by some of the top firms on both sides of the Atlantic.

About Acritas

Acritas is a leading provider of specialist research programs to the professional, financial and public service sectors in the UK, Europe and the USA. They specialize in providing comprehensive and insightful interpretation of information extracted from key stakeholders. Acritas is a Market Research Society company partner. For further information, please visit www.acritas.com

About InsideCounsel
InsideCounsel is an award-winning monthly magazine that has been serving general counsel and other top in-house legal professionals for two decades. With a circulation of 40,000 and unparalleled depth and breadth of coverage, InsideCounsel provides the strategic tools GCs need to better manage their departments and fully understand the business risks companies face today. For further information, please visit www.insidecounsel.com

About Summit Business Media

Summit Business Media is the leading B2B media and information company serving the insurance, investment, professional services and art markets through a variety of channels, including print, online and live events. SBM provides breaking news and analysis, in-depth practice management strategies and business-building techniques, and actionable data to the markets it serves. Through its Media and Reference Divisions, the company publishes 19 magazines and 150 reference titles. The Event Division hosts a dozen conferences in support of Summit's magazine brands, sponsors the International Investment Conferences on global mining investment, and produces 50 professional education seminars annually. SBM's Data Division, comprised of Highline Data, Judy Diamond Associates, Agent Media and Kirschner's, is the leading data provider of financial and marketing information on insurance companies, life and property-casualty agents and investment advisors. Summit is also one of the top organizers of consumer and B2B art fairs and magazines.

Summit, a Wind Point Partners company, employs 400 employees in a dozen offices across the United States. For more information, please visit SummitBusinessMedia.com.