How Lexlink aligns culture across global firms

By Daniela Koenig

Partner at BÜHLMANN KOENIG & PARTNER

Board Member of Lexlink

When I think about what makes cross-border collaboration work in the legal profession, it almost always comes down to culture.

You can have the smartest lawyers in the room and the best systems in place, but if the culture is not aligned, collaboration can break down very quickly.

That is especially true when you are working across multiple jurisdictions.

Every firm in our network has its own story. A legacy, a way of working, a set of values built by its people and clients. We would never want to erase that.

Instead, Lexlink establishes a shared set of principles that are consistent across borders. Integrity, collaboration, responsiveness and respect all form the basis of our collective culture.

These principles give me confidence that when I speak to a colleague in another country, we already have common ground in how we approach a matter, even when the local law is different.

Learning culture through people

Culture is not something you can just write into a staff handbook and expect it to automatically guide the behaviour of your team.

It shows itself in the way colleagues speak to each other, how they respond when pressure rises, how they celebrate success and what they prioritise when time is short.

At my first Lexlink AGM, I found the informal moments as valuable as the formal sessions. Conversations over dinner or during coffee breaks revealed how colleagues in other countries thought about their work and how they approached their clients.

When I returned to my own office, I brought those lessons with me. Even now, they continue to influence the way I speak to clients, the way I mentor junior colleagues and the way I approach problems.

That is what I see as a real strength of the Lexlink network. It creates opportunities for lawyers to see culture in action, rather than simply reading about it.

When pressure tests relationships

Some of the strongest relationships I have seen in the network began during difficult legal matters.

For instance, I remember working on a transaction that involved colleagues in Brazil. Both offices were responsible for different aspects of the same client matter, and at one point, we had to align our priorities and make sure that important details of the transactions were taken into consideration according to Swiss and Brazil law.

Adding the challenge of time differences only made the situation more difficult.

I knew another chain of emails would only create more confusion, so I picked up the phone and had a direct conversation with our colleagues in Brazil about how we needed to proceed in order for us to reach the best results for the client.

It worked because there was already enough familiarity and trust to speak openly and clarify expectations.

That level of trust does not develop automatically, but a network like Lexlink provides the conditions for it to grow.

Inspiring younger generations

For younger lawyers, culture is one of the first things they notice. It can sometimes even be the difference between them accepting or turning down a job.

They want to know what kind of work they will be doing, and what kind of people they will be working with.

When they see that Lexlink provides exposure to colleagues and clients across the world, they understand that their careers are not limited to a single perspective.

I have witnessed some of the junior members of our team connect with some of our peers in other countries and within a few weeks the growth in confidence is very noticeable.

They have immediate access to different approaches and different working styles, and it has broadened their understanding of what it means to be a lawyer.

That kind of development would have taken years without the platform of the network.

Aligned culture is a lasting advantage

Clients rightly expect legal accuracy as a given. What makes the difference is the way teams from different jurisdictions can come together and operate with trust and cohesion.

Lexlink makes that possible by aligning culture across firms without erasing what makes each of us unique.

For me, that alignment is the reason our collaboration feels natural rather than forced. It ensures that when a client works with any member firm, they experience the same high standard of professionalism and respect.

While we are not always identical in our methods, we are aligned in our priorities.

That is what keeps collaboration effective and what makes the network stronger year after year.

If you are not yet a Lexlink member but would like to discuss joining us, please fill out our application form.