World Practice Roundtable

Maggie WatkinsMeritas President

October 25, 2004

Meritas

Est. 1990; Non profit

170+ firms; 60+ countries

Firms ranked in top 20

Purpose: credible, effective client coverage

Our Name: Meritas

Merit: Latin root —“merito’—‘brought in’ or ‘earned’

Means “proven ability or accomplishment”

Protected internationally Firms show Meritas on letterhead,

Web site and marketing materials

Typical Meritas Member Firm

One firm per market

HQ in city served

Full service law firms

Non exclusive

No competing formal strategy

Why Meritas is Different

# 1:

Objective, transparent and rigorous member service monitoring

Quality Control All referrals tracked as condition

of membership Written evaluations

Established system in place

Client service standards Periodic member recertification

Involvement in organization Client service complaints

Practice mix monitoring Terminate 2% annually

Client Credibility

Clients access evaluation records

Over 3,000 matters evaluated

Database online

Why Meritas is Different

#2:

Tools to compete with regional, national and global firms

Focus Has Shifted Beyond Referrals

Technology support for client coordination

Local marketing support

Educational & networking meetings

Lawyer qualification database

Extensive Lawyer Qualification Database

Provides the ability to directly reach a lawyer whose capabilities meet legal needs All member attorneys’ profiles are

included in the LQD Industry expertise Niche legal specialization

Online access www.meritas.org

Resource Tools Available(for clients and members)

Lawyer Qualification Database - both resource and promotional tool

Repository for marketing best practices

Meritas Web site: www.meritas.org

Member Site

Resource Tools (cont)

Partner sales training

National and international trade show program

Attorney retreat facilitation

Why Meritas is Different

# 3:

Significant new business for members via direct marketing/sales effort

Strategy Position Meritas similar to

national/international firms

Goal: Substantive, profitable work from Fortune 1000 and increased referrals between members

Process: Use member contacts to leverage collective expertise

Most Important Criteria in Selecting Outside Counsel

Past relationships

Reputation of individual lawyer

Lawyer expertise in a specific area

Firm expertise in a specific area

Reputation of the law firm

1. ACC/Serengeti survey

Corporate Advisory Board

Use corporate counsel perspective to maximize HQ business development efforts

Joe Bauer, Lubrizol Gary Jacobs, MGM Mirage Kim Myrdahl, SuperValu Bruce Whitney, Air Products Paul Marcela, Dow Corning Doug Kosloski, Crown Investments

2004-05 Corporate Sales Plan

We will be… Expanding Sections and

Industry groups as a business development resource tool

Adding more tradeshows

Stressing relationship development after initial contact

Why Lubrizol Uses Meritas

“The network maintains a high level of quality control among its members. We don’t have to do interviews, and we don’t have to go through a reference process. That’s been done for us by an organization we trust.”

Joe Bauer, General Counsel

Lubrizol, Inc.

Membership Retention is High

Meritas referrals = top 10 client for active, visible firms in big cities

Significant referral income

Value in outbound referring

HQ: Significant leverage to enforce service standards

Meritas’ Commitment to Diversity

Assisting member firms to recruit, retain and promote attorneys of diverse backgrounds

Educating member firms about the business imperatives of diversity initiatives

Heightening the awareness and sensitivity of its members to create opportunities that enhance diversity

Commitment to Diversity (continued)

Promoting the involvement of attorneys of diverse backgrounds in the leadership and governance of Meritas

Weighing commitment to diversity in firm recruitment and certification  

Meritas: A Strong Competitive Advantage

Safe, credible geographic reach

Significant new business

Means to find and demonstrate depth

Reduce operating costs

Associate attraction and retention

Keep local brand relevant