@tommclain
June 11th, 2009
Corporate, M&A and International Attorney
Shareholder at Chorey, Taylor & Feil
Secretary and Executive Committee member of the Board of Directors of the World Chamber of Commerce
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Today we’re pleased to be tweeting with Atlanta-based international corporate / M&A lawyer @tommclain
- @tommclain Thank you for joining us today on Twitter. Tell us: who is @tommclain?
Recovering litigator now focused on helping businesses succeed. In August, I will complete my 25th year of practice.
- - Congratulations. Tell us about your law practice.
Basically 3 overlapping areas – corporate/M&A/international. In better times, I’d have at least 1 M&A deal going always.
My international is mostly “inbound” and is deals + corporate. As for corporate, I essentially act as a general counsel.
- - What type of clients do you represent?
Typically, businesses and business owners from startups to middle market. I’ve also done work for Fortune 500 companies.
- - What is the single most important legal issue affecting those clients?
“Show me the money.” Ok not a legal issue, but tight credit drives all sorts of decisions which evolve into legal issues.
- - That makes sense. What do you tell every new client before you start working for them?
Besides that I actually expect to get paid for my work??
I’m”all-in.” I often dream up ideas for your business. The more successful you are, the more you can afford to pay me ;)
- - That too makes a lot of sense. Tell us about one of the more significant client representations you’ve had.
Picking 1 is hard. Most would point to a Fortune 500 client or their largest deal but to me significance=problem complexity.
A JV between a Canadian and Mexican company that took about 12 months to negotiate or combining 5 smaller business into 1.
- - Why do your clients hire you?
Dashing good looks? I think they discover I will invest time to understand their business & combine legal&legal common sense
- - How has the economic crisis affected your clients’ ability to do business?
Startups can’t find $. Established businesses can’t find growth capital. Customers and suppliers failing. How depressing!
- - Are you seeing a greater demand for alternative billing arrangements as the crisis continues?
Not really. But we froze our ‘09 hourly rates at ‘08 levels. + when I joined my firm a year ago, I trimmed my rates by 10%.
Still, most clients want a budget amount which more or less becomes a flat fee. Proper communication is quite critical.
- - What’s the international M&A scene going to look like over the coming 12 months?
I Keep predicting the same thing & eventually will be right. More acquisitions of US business by foreign business/investors.
- - So we’ll see an increasing number of foreign companies buying US assets, like the Chinese group that is buying Hummer?
Exactly (China now wants Volvo). But I think lots of things will be attractive. Real estate, manufacturing, you name it.
- - How do you market your practice?
Traditional ways 1st:Face2face contact,Community work (World Chamber of Commerce Executive Committee).Then Internet “stuff.”
- - Why did you decide to join Twitter? Has it proven to be a valuable effort?
I just kept reading/hearing “you have to.” I haven’t been here 2 months yet, so its too early to tell, but i think it will.
- - Perhaps you can come back in a few months and update us. Beyond Twitter, what other Web 2.0 tools do you use? Why?
Sure. I’m invested in LinkedIn & run a corporate lawyer group there, thanks to @barrettdavid. Nothing else has traction.
I tend to lump all Internet “stuff” together So blogging, SEO for our website. Avvo Lawyers.com LawLink.com RSS as resource
The point of it all is to let people learn about your skills, experience and personality.
- - Have your Web 2.0 activities had any affect on referrals or client engagements?
LinkedIn is beginning to get traction. Its hard to track: I’ve seen convergence between Web 2.0 and traditional efforts.
- - Indeed. How much time do you spend each day developing / enhancing your brand?
My goal is meal with a client or referral source every day, but its probably 3 a week + other direct personal interactions.
Throw in my work at the World Chamber Commerce and the “Internet stuff” and its at least 10-15 hrs a week.
- - With client work makes for busy a week…. What is the most significant issue currently facing the legal profession?
Communicating why lawyers are valuable at whatever billing basis is used. How do you value the lawsuit not filed?
- - What will the legal landscape look like in 10 years?
You’re kidding! A continuing tension between commoditizing legal services & recognizing a personal touch is often required.
- - What would you do if you weren’t a lawyer?
I’d love to be an entrepreneur, but I know too much about risk and am way to risk adverse. Maybe a cowboy!
- - I ask everyone this question, but know that for you it has a particular relevance: how do you want to be remembered?
I admit thinking about this lately due to recent events. A great husband/father/friend. A guy who visibly lived his faith.
I guess I should explain the “particular relevance”. On 5/28 I found I have a brain tumor. Had a biopsy last Thursday.
Anybody know any good jokes about lawyers with holes in their head?
- - See you’re keeping sense of humor…know many tweeps have you in their thoughts. What do you do when you’re not working?
Keeping up with 3 daughters (21,19&16) & 1 wife. Living, laughing & loving. Working in yard, being in the woods, praying.
- - That brings us to our last question for you: what advice do you have for people going to law school today?
DON’T DO IT!! Just kidding.
Don’t succumb to the pressure – it’s a great time to learn how to balance normal life with the demands of law practice.
This was a great twitterview, thank you so much. Know that 22 Tweets followers everywhere are sending you positive vibes
Cool. Thanks, I enjoyed it. And, it didn’t hurt one bit! Now I guess I have to go back to work.
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| Tags: Atlanta, Corporate Law, International, M and A |
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@danharris
April 23rd, 2009
Partner, Harris & Moure
Author of the award-winning China Law Blog
Appearances on Fox News, Fox Report, CBC Report on Business, BBC World, BBC World Have Your Say
Today, we’re tweeting with @danharris: international lawyer, “Sushi grade” China Law blogger, news & movie junkie, and more
- @Danharris, thank you for joining us today on Twitter. Who is the person behind @Danharris?
Me. Just me.
- Can’t go wrong with that. Tell us about your law practice.
It’s 99% international law. Maybe around 60% China, 20% Korea, 15% Russia, 5% Misc.
- What type of clients do you represent?
From Startups to Fortune 50 companies. Most have between $5 and $300 in revenues.
Whoops. Meant between $5 million and $300 million, not between $5 and $300.
- What is the single most important legal issue affecting those clients?
Great question. Figuring out the law and following it.
- Imagine that’s difficult in those jurisdictions. What’s the single most important business issue affecting your clients?
Very tough in China, yes. Toughest business issue is the credit crunch.
- What do you tell every new client before you start working for them?
“Hi, I’m Dan. ” Hard to generalize much beyond that….. sorry…..
- It is what it is, right? What was the most significant client representation you’ve had?
Helping recover $300+ million in assets from Russia RIGHT after fall of communism. Got WSJ cover story out of it. ….
Funnest was going to Papua New Guinea to recover three helicopters.
- Impressive results. Why do your clients hire you?
Three reasons, primarily. 1. Quality 2. Responsiveness/Concern/Personality 3. Price Fairness
- You’ve become a leading voice on China / China law in a relatively short time. What led you to your China practice?
It’s actually taken a long time. We were big in Korea & Russia & China was thrust on us by our clients.
- How will the rule of law in China affect the way business is done in China?
It already has & it will continue to do so. Foreign companies must follow laws or they run real risk of getting tossed.
- You may have just answered this in part, but what’s the future for foreign lawyers in China?
Very bright. Cultural differences are a huge & permanent chasm. This holds true for most foreign countries, even European ones
- How do you market your practice?
By never sitting still. Blogging. Speaking. Writing. Lunches. Phone calls.
- How much time do you spend each day developing / enhancing your brand?
Every minute I work I am enhancing the brand, so I will say 12-16. As my Twitter profile says, “sleep is for wussies.”
- You’re the principal author of the award-winning China Law Blog (http://bit.ly/n4k7T). Who do you write it for?
The SME owner or CFO who is in China or thinking about going there.
- Have your Web 2.0 activities had an impact on referrals or client engagements?
It creates huge media publicity, which leads to clients. Clients come in already knowing where I stand on things.
- That’s very useful, I’m sure. What is the most significant issue currently facing the legal profession?
BigLaw costs too much. Firms must move from hourly billing. Abt 75% of my firm’s work is flat fee. Better for clients & for us
- That’s a lot! Guess we’ll need a second twitterview…. What will the legal landscape look like in 10 years?
Mega firms and specialized boutique firms. Mid-sized “national” firms will be no more.
- What would you do if you weren’t a lawyer?
Radio Talk Show Host……Full time blogger/twitterer?
- I’m sure you’d be successful at that too…. How do you want to be remembered?
Too deep for me…. As a great father and a good person.
- More down to earth, then: what do you do when you’re not working?
Dote on my kids, work out, read, watch TV, go to movies & plays, travel for fun.
- As opposed to traveling for clients… How many miles would you say you travel in a typical year?
Maybe 150,000 air miles for clients…. 25,000 for pleasure. Guessing.
- That’s a lot of time in the air… Final question for you: What advice do you have for people going to law school today?
Don’t I know it. I would say don’t go to law school unless you know what you want to do with the degree once U have it.
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| Tags: Blawger, China, International, Seattle |
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@dinayin
April 9th, 2009
Associate at Baker & Daniels (Beijing and Indianapolis)
International transactions and patent / trademark lawyer
Author of Indiana China Lawyer
Today, we’re tweeting with @DinaYin, a transactional lawyer currently based in the Beijing office of an international firm
- @DinaYin, thank you for joining us today at 22 Tweets. Tell us: who is the person behind @DinaYin?
Thanks for having me. In no particular order, int’l business lawyer, foodie, traveler, blogger, creative thinker.
- Tell us about your law practice.
cross-border transactions, IP enforcement, U.S. import & export controls.
- What type of clients do you represent?
Fortune 500 to startups. Clients come to B&D for international service at reasonable midwest rates.
- What is the most important legal issue affecting your clients?
At the moment, how to handle downsizing operations in China yet still work with the recent Chinese labor law changes.
- Sounds like uncharted territory…. What do you tell every new client before you start working for them?
When it comes to China, I always tell clients to be VERY patient. Focus on relationship building, not the result….
You’d be surprised at how a change in focus will help in obtaining results.
- What was the most significant client representation you’ve had?
Setting up my first subsidiaries in China and India for a client.
- Why was it significant?
It was my first substantive “international business attorney” experience….
It had all the right ingredients: cross jurisdictional legal issues, players from different countries, time zones…
- Why do your clients hire you?
Lawyers at my firm have a reputation for being practical, cost-effective problem solvers…
But as a “China lawyer,” you have to understand the problem from both a legal and cultural perspective and EXPLAIN it.
- How is the economic crisis affecting your clients?
Not much. It’s made them more creative in finding business opportunities worldwide and not focus on the U.S.
- Have you and your firm had to respond to financial difficulties your clients may be experiencing?
Tailor fee structure to legal budget, provide set quotes if necessary, work with the client’s time line for payment.
- How do you market your practice?
Twitterviews! Web 2.0, seminars, face to face meetings. But most of all, continue doing quality work for existing clients.
- Can never go wrong with that! How much time do you spend each day developing / enhancing your brand?
Sometimes all day… and now all night… No, probably 3 to 4 hours a day on average.
- What value have you seen from being on Twitter?
It keeps me connected to my Indy network, meet new tweeps re China law, updated on developments on China and Int’l matters.
- Your blog, Indiana China Lawyer (http://bit.ly/jJDsA)=your China experiences. How did U sell a non-legal blog to your firm?
The firm approached me! The blog is about my experience in China from all facets (legal and non-legal)….
Clients want to know how to do business in China. That’s the day-to-day, networking, AND legal. My blog=all those views.
- Interesting take; had not thought of that – How important are your Web 2.0 activities to the marketing of your practice?
It’s increasingly important to use new mediums for networking and potential clients, especially in an international setting.
- What is the most significant issue currently facing the legal profession?
I agree with @Jayshep on this. There’s an increasing need for the legal profess. 2 think abt alt. fee arrangements.
- What will the legal landscape look like in 10 years?
Lower billing rates, more regional firms rather than gargantuan firms. Stronger networks amongst firms to cross-sell.
- What would you do if you weren’t a lawyer?
At this moment: probably be a traveling journalist and spend at least a month in Yunnan, China.
- I liked your blog post on Yunnan; makes me want to visit. How do you want to be remembered?
Wow. That’s a loaded question. I think for now, just someone who can adapt to any challenge.
- You’re no doubt getting a lot of practice at that these days. What do you do when you’re not working?
Trying to see as much of China/Asia as I can this year!
- What’s been the most difficult thing about the move to China?
The night vs. day time zone change is the biggest challenge for effective communication….
Local system works better 4 u when here.. But a Chinese solution for American clients can be hard for them to accept.
- One last question: what advice do you have for people going to law school today?
Don’t let the rat race in school bog u down. Connect ur life skills to ur legal knowledge when interviewing — all 1 package.
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| Tags: Beijing, China, International, IP, Transactional |
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