When a firm announces a new office in a major city, the reaction in the marketplace — and certainly in the business and legal press — is usually skepticism. The perception is invariably that branch offices are staffed by the firm’s “away team.” They’re the new kids on the block — competent attorneys, perhaps, but often lacking the rich relationships with business leaders and public officials that give credibility to the leading indigenous law firms.
Yet firms often have great expectations for how the market will respond. The ones that are market leaders in their home city, in particular, may underestimate the challenges of opening an office in a new market. The branch office can easily languish unless the firm has an acute appreciation for the business development, substantial and multifaceted marketing, and the time required to establish a credible presence. Becoming recognized as a “local” firm can take years, often close to a decade.
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