Ensuring consistency of service around the world is major challenge – Deloitte

Law firms advising clients on their international operations must ensure there is good coordination with other firms and ‘real leadership’ of the different teams involved

The biggest challenge facing law firms is giving a guarantee to clients that the service they receive in other jurisdictions will be of the same high standard to which they are accustomed, says Luis Fernando Guerra, managing partner at Deloitte Abogados in Madrid.
In order to offer that guarantee, firms need to ensure “coordination with other firms and the real leadership of the different teams involved,” he adds. This philosophy is important in an environment where Spanish companies have been enjoying an extraordinary period of internationalisation in recent years, Guerra says.

Competitive advantage
Firms with an international network of offices have a competitive advantage, according to Guerra, in the sense that such firms are able to support, advise and accompany their clients wherever they decide to establish operations. These type of firms are able to provide the same level of service and reliability irrespective of the geographic location, he adds.
Guerra says firms with a “one-name brand” that use the same methodology and processes in multiple jurisdictions are the “ideal travel companions” for clients that are choosing to expand internationally.

Multidisciplinary approach
An international philosophy is “part of Deloitte’s DNA,” according to Guerra. “We have a very clear international strategy, which involves consolidating our position of leadership and continuing our growth,” he adds.
In the coming years, Deloitte will continue to invest in its multidisciplinary approach to serving clients, Guerra says.
He adds that the firm will particularly aim to enhance its capacity to offer services in emerging markets and will seek to recruit new professionals across the globe in order to achieve this aim.