As travel costs rise, more clients are opting for virtual meetings, reports the New York Times this week. Improved videoconferencing technology–as well as the public’s growing comfort and familiarity with tools like wikis and online document sharing–have augmented their popularity.

This will impact the way that lawyers meet with clients although, as the article notes, lawyers fall into the camp of consultants that often need face to face client meetings.

The article concludes with the greatest casualty of virtual meetings: personal relationships, particularly those across cultures. After all, it’s hard to pick up cultural nuances, or to really forge relationships, through a screen. Somehow that cup of coffee doesn’t taste or smell quite so good when shared virtually…