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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 8, 2001
Bay Area Legal Marketing Firm Achieves Rare State Bar Certification Local companies now have a referral colleague to point them to top legal talent. Companies in search of specialized legal talent now have a colleague they can ask. The Cosmides Group, a Bay Area legal marketing firm, has received State Bar certification to operate California’s first lawyer referral service (LRS) dedicated solely to the needs of corporate and business clients. TCG principal, John Cosmides, will use his extensive knowledge of Bay Area legal talent to act as a “referral colleague” to business decision makers and general counsel, who usually rely on the recommendations of friends and counterparts to select attorneys. In addition:
only attorneys who are partners in their law firms, and who have met other stringent minimum standards, will be referred. attorneys will only be referred to matters that fall under their primary areas of experience. The service is named BARUSTORS, a name derived from the British barristers (with which it rhymes) and solicitors, the two segments of the British legal profession. Cosmides created this name in order to capture a new, but familiar-sounding term for highly experienced attorneys. The business model is based on a simple premise: most companies hire attorneys by word-of-mouth. However, with over 400 law firms in San Francisco alone, the friends and colleagues they turn to know relatively few attorneys. This comes at a time when managers and house counsel are under mounting pressure to make informed hiring decisions. Studies show that the ocean of legal talent is so vast, that even general counsel rely on referrals as their primary conduit to outside counsel. We are in the business of knowing attorneys. That’s what we do,” says Cosmides. “We research the market for specific talent, screen candidates rigorously, meet them in person, interview them at length, and follow their careers. We get to know every attorney we refer on a first name basis. No Bay Area company should hire an attorney before asking us for a complimentary recommendation. More Than Three Years To Become Certified Getting the green light to form BARUSTORS was not easy. It took The Cosmides Group three-and-a-half years to become certified, which may explain why BARUSTORS is the first legal referral company of its kind in the state. However, California law offers no alternative. Under Business and Professions Code Section 6155, lawyer referral activity in California is permissible only when it is certified by the State Bar of California. Uncertified referral activity is subject to injunction and civil penalties. County bar associations operate most of the state’s 48 LRSs as community services. Others are run by non-profit groups to address social issues. A few referral services help consumers and small businesses. However, BARUSTORS is the first LRS in California to focus exclusively on the needs of business and corporate clients. BARUSTORS currently refers talent in 12 practice areas:
Corporate & Business Law Employment Law Internet/New Media Law Real Estate Transactions Law Tax Law Tort & Insurance Law Zoning & Land Use Law General Business Litigation Lending Law Construction Litigation Government Contracts Law Additional practice areas are being added. In order to replicate the traditional referral process, BARUSTORS makes all referrals gratis. In order to attract top legal talent, BARUSTORS charges no membership or up-front fees of any kind to attorneys. Instead, attorneys pay BARUSTORS a modest remuneration on matters they agree to accept. All attorneys pay the same fees, which eliminates conflicts of interest. Moreover, State Bar rules forbid attorneys from passing those fees to the referred client. Attorneys who pass their fees to their clients will be severed from BARUSTORS, and their clients will be encouraged to report the incident to the State Bar. "We work for companies, not attorneys", reminds Cosmides. As part of its service to the community, BARUSTORS will offer free legal clinics to very small businesses and non-profit organizations, including those that are owned by women, minorities and the disabled. For more information, please contact: John Cosmides The Cosmides Group Benicia, CA 707-745-1232 john@BARUSTORS.com http://www.BARUSTORS.com |