One thing that I most loved about studying at the London School of Economics (and, for that matter, at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service) was the multi-cultural student body and faculty. The LSE’s curriculum was also brimming full of rich topics dealing with issues of culture, ethnicity and the like.
It’s no surprise that the current issue of the LSE Magazine includes an interesting article by Alan Manning and Sanchari Roy titled Culture Clash or Culture Club? The article–which is particularly timely in light of the recent UK terrorist intrigue–examines the religion and ethnic background of various immigrant populations and their level of “British identity” after residing in Great Britain.
The authors’ research study found one factor most contributes to whether an immigrant reports to having a “British identity”: how long the immigrant has been in the UK. The authors also report that “immigrants from poorer and less democratic countries assimilate faster into British identity”, in part because these ethnic groups tend to take on British citizenship. (In contrast, the ethnic group least likely to assimilate is the Italians; these immigrants continue to identify with Italy–no doubt due to its better cuisine!)
In other words, the report contradicts the prevailing view in Britain that, for example, Pakistani Muslim immigrants, remain primarily loyal to their home country.
What does this mean to you as an international lawyer? It means that when dealing with another party (clients or opposing counsel), and their country of origin differs from their country of residence, don’t assume that you know their cultural identity.
Instead, stay curious. Ask yourself, has this person assimilated into the new culture and adopted its values? If so, how much? Or, does this person still identify with and live by the values of his/her native land, and only begrudgingly accommodate the values of their new country of residence?
These values show up throughout communication–such as the high value that many Latin Americans place on relationships, wanting to cultivate them before doing business with someone. Or, for example, Germans are known to value, respect and defer to authority figures. Any international lawyer lucky enough to give a presentation to a group of Germans will find them better behaved and more punctual than their American counterparts.
Paying attention to these cultural values–and tailoring your interaction with clients and opposing counsel to reflect and respond to these values–will improve your interaction immeasurably.
This post was adapted from the author’s 7-24-07 post on her blog at www.JanetMooreCommunications.com.
It’s one thing to go abroad on a business trip for a week or so, and quite another to work abroad for over a month. A prolonged but temporary stint abroad requires significant office capability–enough to get a lot accomplished, but not enough to merit a full scale office move. So, what’s the answer? Make your office as portable as you can, bringing along as much as possible with access to the rest, and then, be flexible. Expect hiccups.
This summer I am spending a good deal of time working from Ireland and Holland. Thanks to the internet, Skype and laptops, most of my office capabilities are available–most, but not all. Technological glitches have arisen, and my chosen tech support has not been quite as tech-savvy as promised. Any European (or other non-US) lawyer practicing in the US temporarily could easily encounter the same challenges; as a visitor, connecting with the requisite business resources takes time.
Whenever I have spent time working abroad–whether in Rome or Rio–I have encountered office glitches. Cultural and communication differences always compounded the problem. Whether the glitch proved major or minor, I always found a solution (albeit not always a timely one). However, the calmer I became, the easier it was to resolve the problem.
And so, working abroad this summer reminds me of the traditional adage: patience is a virtue. It is indeed.
International lawyers of various nationalities email me for rainmaking tips. Often they are working in countries other than their homelands, such as Indian attorneys practicing in the United States, German lawyers working in Argentina, or American attorneys practicing in Hong Kong.
Regardless of your national heritage, your background can be a real client development asset in that it gives you a unique perspective–and perhaps an advantage over–equally qualified attorneys with a different heritage. Your background must be a compliment to (but not subsitute for) stellar legal skills, and so showing a prospective client that you have the requisite legal acumen is key.
Last week Donald Prophete of Ogletree Deakins explored this topic with Michael Cummings through The Law Marketing Portal, As an African-American partner in his law firm, he routinely thinks about this topic. Prophete notes that after he establishes his value with a potential client, ”my heritage may be an asset because it can be an advantage for me over other attorneys they may be considering for the work. So, my diverse background complements the business value I provide.”
Similarly, international lawyers may find that they share the same national heritage as certain prospective clients, or that their heritage gives them particular insights into the project at hand–or even the clients on the other side.
Regardless, use your national heritage to your advantage. If you are located abroad, be sure and network with other nationals of your heritage who may become good referral sources. Expats often enjoy connecting with expats from the same country. And as Prophete suggests, look for other professionals of your heritage to mentor you as you grow your practice, even if they work in different fields. This holds true for lawyers both in and outside private practice.
People feel comfortable with others who are like them. So, when you are being interviewed by potential clients or employers, you should try to fit in as much as possible–not only by using appropriate acronyms, jargon and technical lingo, but also by matching the other person’s pace and inflection.
If you are not a native speaker of the language in which you are being interviewed, polish your language skills ahead of time. Listening to sophisticated television broadcasters during news shows is a good way to get a feel for the parlance. The vocabulary will also be more professional and the news topics more familiar than with non-news shows.
In an effort to sound more American and fit in, some expatriates in the US are going so far as to get professional “accent reduction” according to last week’s International Herald Tribune. Believe it or not, those with particularly heavy accents are even flying to Michigan to attend the Accent Reduction Institute. This blogger can think of some native Americans who would benefit from some of that training!
Lawyers wanting to work abroad should take a very quick look at this Guide to Working Overseas for attorneys published by international recruiting company Michael Page Legal. This quick guide shares some very basic facts–like common billable hour requirements–for attorneys working in select jurisdictions like the Cayman Islands and Dubai. Although cursory, it’s also filled with luring photos.
