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Lex Mundi announced earlier this week the launch of a new program to give in-house counsel direct access to local law firms in foreign jurisdictions while not having to manage the delivery methods of that legal advice.

The Equisphere program allows general counsel and in-house counsel to use local law firms in foreign jurisdictions for cross-border business. Firms that participate in the Equisphere program can help in-house counsel with restructuring, expanding into different markets, mergers and acquisitions, compliance efforts and investigations. There are 150 Lex Mundi firms around the world in 125 countries.

"Equisphere was launched in response to what we believe is a very important client need, which we don't believe is being addressed," Helena Samaha, president and CEO of Lex Mundi in London, said in an interview on Wednesday.

Samaha said she describes Equisphere as being able to give clients the ability to "design their own international law firm."

Eric Staal, vice president of Lex Mundi's global markets team in Barcelona, said there has been an increased demand from clients for more on-the-ground expertise in jurisdictions outside of their own. He also said that clients are being asked to do much more with less and have a greater sophistication over legal spend.

In-house counsel "want to have direct access and reach into local jurisdictions for the advice that is provided and to be able to manage costs and deadlines," Staal said.

Staal explained that global law firms have not always been able to meet this demand.

"Having extensive connections with local jurisdictions as well as deep roots is not something that is easily built overnight by a global firm. It's not something they can always support with their London or New York bottom line," Staal said.

The program does allow for in-house counsel to use a panel on their own firm with a Lex Mundi firm, said Samaha, a former general counsel at OSN and AlixPartners.

"We have a very comprehensive offering and a vast footprint and we can respond to the needs of clients everywhere," Samaha said. "We also understand that there are certain clients that have key relationships in certain jurisdictions. We can plug in a Lex Mundi firm into a combined offering."

Staal said Lex Mundi will work to deepen the capability of Equisphere to where the market is going.

"The demands of clients have become quite sophisticated about the management of cross-border legal work and about expectations and quality of local advice," Staal said.