Who is Balms Group International (BGI)?
Who We Are
In 1996, two prestigious law firms – Balms Abogados, with its offices in Marbella, Madrid and Vigo, and Black Graf & Co in London joined to found Balms Group International, an International Association of Independent Law Firms.
The partners of BGI are all medium sized firms (5-30 Lawyers) distinguished for their reputation and practice in their respective countries. Nowadays, we have partners in Vigo, Sotogrande (both in Spain), France, Cyprus, Miami, Argentina, Mexico, Austria, Gibraltar, Hungary, Germany and Portugal, in addition to the founder partners with offices in Marbella, Madrid, Vigo and London. Furthermore, we are currently considering applications from interested candidates in Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Italy, Turkey and China.
What is BGI? BGI is an association comprising independent law firms united by an international vocation and a philosophy, a common manner of thinking and acting:
- A very high-quality service to the clients provided in a personal and individual way, which we call “boutique of law”, far from the model of the giant firms which give, in many cases, an impersonal and distant service. Furthermore, our costs are much lower, without expensive and complicated structures of those of the so-called top 10.
- A common Corporate Image, which, far from being only an image, is one both of spirit and a group philosophy. This means that, while remaining independent, we also respond as a group, each of us participating in the Balms Group International project. We assist our partners in every way, having an office at the disposal of a BGI partner who might need it, providing every BGI Partner visiting us with due personal attention.
- We rely on an internal organisation with an Annual Worldwide Congress, dedicated Secretariat, website, CD, Committee, Newsletter, common brochure, etc.
From both a financial and a professional point of view, we have made the well-known American expression: ‘Think globally, win locally’, highly appropriate to BGI. BGI is more than an international association; belonging to it we get a global image of law, and legal services, and the opportunity to share experiences, precedents and ways of understanding, doing and thinking, in the five continents.
But to our higher benefit, and where we really exploit to the full this global manner of thinking and understanding the law, is at local level, that is to say, in our own country, in our city; because our firm has many offices in different parts of the world offering a wide array of services to its clients. Every new BGI member passes from being a local firm to an international one. This means being able to resolve cases with a larger broad-mindedness and having a much more significant and universal image.
Furthermore, one of our objectives, though not a priority one, and subject always to our providing a global service, is the possibility of gaining clients for our partners, and they for us. Referring and receiving new clients, we can obtain greater enrichment, not only personal and legal, but also financial. This last point, in the medium or long-term, is one of the important reasons for the existence of BGI.
This last mentioned means of co-operation between the partners consists in referring on clients who are charged by the firm handling the case. Once the case is closed, the bill is used as an indicator of the commissions to be paid to B.G.I. and to the partner who referred the client - they receive 5% and 10% respectively. Obviously, the referral system is essential to the working of our Association; the referring of clients is actually one of the principal ways through which we work together, ensuring that partners and clients take advantage of our belonging to a worldwide network.
Nevertheless we must reiterate, and as is prescribed by our by-laws, that the idea of those founding our association, and the consideration of relations between partners are essential. Actually, although the members of the association remain independent from one another, the by-laws stipulate that the partners have ‘to have regard to the interests of other partners and to provide assistance to them’ (Art. 33. d).
Even more important, since only one partner is permitted per country (Art. 28) –with special consideration for the United States of America-, every firm is provided with exclusivity as far as the referring of clients to their country is concerned. This does not mean that partner firms are impeded from receiving work from other law firms worldwide, but we commit ourselves to refer to our BGI partners any matter requiring help in those countries where BGI is represented.
Further, should a BGI partner inform us that it does not specialise in the particular field required, it has to recommend another prestigious and trusted firm in its country to the partner referring the client, and assist the partner requesting it in its jurisdiction.
Partners can and have to use the names and addresses of fellow partners, as well as the BGI logo, on their stationery and brochures. There are frequent communications between the partners through General Meetings, personal visits and the Annual Congress. These events improve the relationship between members and furthermore contribute to general awareness of the network amongst partners. To exemplify the extent of the involvement of our partners in BGI matters, our partners in Budapest, Kóvacs Réti Szegheo Attorneys-at-law were introduced to BGI by Johannes Neumayer of Neumayer & Walter, our Vienna representative.
We hope to further this close working relationship amongst partners in the future, and to this effect we are publishing shortly a new annual BGI Magazine dealing with International Law. Furthermore, we are working on our new website, featuring updated detailed information on BGI, each firm and its professionals.
The eighth edition of BGI News has been sent for printing, featuring articles from Members all over the world, and a new brochure introducing every firm on the net has recently been launched. All this to ensure that the proximity we enjoy at the moment will be maintained once the number of partners increases.
In order for a new partner to be admitted as a member of BGI, three basic requirements must be met:
- A questionnaire for law firms interested in joining BGI has to be completed and returned.
- The applicant firm’s brochure must be sent to the Secretariat.
- A letter officially requesting membership and accepting the Association’s by-laws, thereby formally agreeing, should it be chosen as a partner firm in its country, to pay the annual subscription fee, and the entrance fee.
Upon having met all the requirements, the President of the Association, and, where appropriate, the introducer of the new partner, will visit and interview the firm or firms concerned and prepare a report on these firms for the consideration of the BGI Executive Committee. It is the Executive Committee which, by vote, ultimately decides whether or not the interested firm is to be accepted in BGI.