Our Chicago partner Kevin Trabaris discusses referral services in an article by Chicago Lawyer which explores the ARDC proposing new regulations for attorney referral platforms to open up the middle class of potential clients.
Here are some excerpts from Kevin’s interview:
In 2011, Kevin Trabaris signed up for Avvo, an online attorney referral service, as he branched out to start his own firm. Trabaris, a corporate and commercial finance transactional attorney, soon discovered that the platform funneled small businesses and consumers to him.
Reflecting on the experience, Trabaris, who is now partner and financial services chair at Culhane & Meadows, believes such platforms have value for other practice areas. Trabaris admittedly works with more lenders and other financial institutions.
“There’s certainly a lot of lawyers [whose] practice areas, for instance… personal injury — there’s a whole variety of different practice areas that could be helped by using the site, but mine isn’t really one of them,” Trabaris said.
As digital platforms emerge to connect consumers with attorneys seeking clients, the Illinois Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission has proposed new regulations for attorney referral platforms, which will impact how attorneys using these platforms can do so in an ethical manner.
In 2020, consumers, in theory, can search online for an attorney for a legal predicament and find results within a fraction of a second. But despite the presence of bar association and digital attorney referral services, the gap between consumers in need of legal assistance and the attorneys equipped to represent them persists.
The complete article can be found here.
About Culhane Meadows – Big Law for the New Economy®
The largest woman-owned national full-service business law firm in the U.S., Culhane Meadows fields over 70 partners in ten major markets across the country. Uniquely structured, the firm’s Disruptive Law® business model gives attorneys greater work-life flexibility while delivering outstanding, partner-level legal services to major corporations and emerging companies across industry sectors more efficiently and cost-effectively than conventional law firms. Clients enjoy exceptional and highly-efficient legal services provided exclusively by partner-level attorneys with significant experience and training from large law firms or in-house legal departments of respected corporations. U.S. News & World Report has named Culhane Meadows among the country’s “Best Law Firms” in its 2014 through 2020 rankings and many of the firm’s partners are regularly recognized in Chambers, Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers and Martindale-Hubbell Peer Reviews.
The foregoing content is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as legal advice. Federal, state, and local laws can change rapidly and, therefore, this content may become obsolete or outdated. Please consult with an attorney of your choice to ensure you obtain the most current and accurate counsel about your particular situation.