2020-11-12
In this article, we explain how to find the top law firms and lawyers in Taiwan. It is often difficult for entities and individuals to distinguish the difference between good from great law firms. Although awards and recognitions from third party organizations such as Legal 500 may be helpful, there are many considerations that can help you identify the most prestigious law firms. How do you know that you are getting the best legal representation? Even if you have been recommended a law firm, we advise that you do your homework before choosing your law firm. Here, we explain how to recognize the best law firms in Taiwan.
Experience and track record in the field of law means everything. How do you know that your law firm or lawyer has a strong track record? Traditionally, some evidence of experience can include publications, media, and deal listings.
In our experience, the best attorneys are both experienced in litigious and non-litigious matters. Without strong litigation experience, your attorney may not be fully aware of all the first-hands legal risks. Having such experience will help their ability to assist you in preventative matters as well.
One of the best methods to verify whether your attorney has experience in litigation is by visiting the official Judicial Yuan website (Chinese Only) to verify their track record and cases they’ve handled.
Please note that this is not the sole determining factor because top law firms can get your adversaries to settle before a lawsuit unfolds so that these results may not be reflected in the track record. In addition, your chosen law firm may be excellent at preventative measures which reduce their legal battles. However, if your attorney has few or no records, you can be confident that they are inexperienced in litigation.
Similarly, years of experience is only valuable if they have been consistently engaged in the legal field whether it may be in academia, legislation, in-house practice or outside counsel. Therefore, pay attention to your lawyer’s biography and specialty to get a sense of their history.
Similar to experience, it is important that your law firm stays ahead of legal news and constantly keeps up with legislative changes. Are your attorneys and consultants intellectually curious? While graduates from top-tier universities may be a tell-tale sign that they are educated, truly prestigious law firms will always engage in continuing education. In many scenarios, local knowledge is not enough. It is important that your law firm has a global vision.
As an example, in 2016, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was adopted in Europe and its impact was global. To ensure that your company complies with European’s GDPR requirements, your law firm would have had to stay up-to-date with policy changes in Europe.
Finally, it is very common to find attorneys in Taiwan who have studied in the United States. However, we will note that the LL.M. is commonly obtained and widespread. While the education is helpful, it is likely that the 9-month training is too short to have meaningful impact for local lawyers to claim to be international in Taiwan. A Juris Doctor degree, on the other hand, suggests that your lawyer has gone through the same rigorous training standards as practicing attorneys in the United States.
You should search for evidence that your law firm consists of talents who are highly educated in their respective fields.
Every case or client is special and unique. Even the most standardized contract should be carefully reviewed. Time and time again, entities have hired law firms who have overlooked the details which ended up costing them millions in legal damages. You pay your law firm to minimize your risks, and it is their job to pay attention to the details, so that you are properly covered.
Pay attention to the questions your attorney asks you and not simply to the answers they provide. Their questions may give insight on the details they consider pertaining to your case. And considering these details gives them a better perspective to better serve you. If they’re not trying to understand your case at a personal level, they are probably trying to just sell you their legal service.
Do they come prepared to answer your questions, or do they simply show up for the first consultation?
Does your attorney or members of their law firm speak your native language with proficiency? Information can often be lost in translation. As mentioned before, it’s all about the details in law.
It is also important to consider that they can communicate effectively with all parties who may be involved in your case. This may also include local/foreign governments or organizations. The more foreign parties involved, the more chances that information is mishandled. In short, do not underestimate the importance of language when dealing cross-border transactions. You can also be assured that the more effectively they communicate, the less charges you incur.
While it is difficult to determine the level of proficiency for a language you do not speak, certifications or tests easily overestimate a candidate’s abilities. Hence, if they are not native speakers, we believe that they should have a proficiency equivalent to C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) to carry out their tasks effectively. There are online resources that allow you to compare their proficiency to the CEFR standards.
It is therefore important to have a well-rounded legal team who can best represent you in any situation.
Every piece of information that is exchanged between you and your law firm whether it is verbal, hand-written or electronic should be protected. Even if attorney-client privileges have not been officially established, one would desire an attorney or law firm who truly values your privacy from the very beginning. Although you would expect all law firms to adhere to this, you would be surprised to find in practice it can vary depending on the culture of the country. Hence, confidentiality is of utmost importance.
Except for deal listings, if your law firm boasts details of other individuals or cases, chances are that they will disclose your information as well. If your law firm hasn’t bothered encrypting their internet traffic, (even when nothing important has been transmitted), you can be sure, they probably won’t take the extra time to protect your electronic information. If the law firm’s associates are able to send off emails and communicate freely on your behalf without supervision, you may be at risk of having your confidential information disclosed.
It is always worthwhile inquiring about what procedures or practices are in place to prevent mishandling of information.
Reputation, honesty and integrity is sometimes difficult to evaluate. However, there are certain signs that may reveal character. Does your law firm engage in pro bono or are they purely profit driven?
Even some of the most reputable law firms will require you to work with their network of affiliated law firms. This may restrict your ability to get access to the best representation.
It is our belief that our clients should have access to the best law firms for the specialties they seek and not limit their access to an inner-circle of experts. If we are unable to resolve your issues better than others, we seek out those who can.
Observe how your law firm responds when you consult them about other law firms to get a sense of honesty. If they are unaware of the specialties of others, it may suggest that they are ignorant about legal experts or that they possess little experience collaborating with others.
Pricing is always one of the most sensitive topics. Every law firm has its own billing practices: some may charge by hours and others may charge a fixed rate.
Some prospective clients are intimidated by the hourly rate concept because they don’t know what to expect from the bill. This fear is rightfully expected as there are lawyers who have inflated billing practices. This is why we emphasized the importance of reputation, honesty and integrity.
Nonetheless, one should understand that a lawyer who easily chooses to fix the cost by case, may not be representing your best interest. Sometimes they underestimate the intricacies and complications that may arise during their representation. What initially seemed like a reasonable price may end up leading to unsuccessful representation or undesired outcomes because your law firm didn’t anticipate the complications. In other cases, they don’t strive to go the extra mile because it doesn’t make a difference in their billing because the cost was fixed.
This is why we recommend not to easily decide solely on cost. The most important factor is that your legal team can achieve your goals effectively and truly reduce your costs by preventing future legal liabilities.
We hope that the information is helpful to you in finding the best law firm in Taiwan.
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Provided by Kingdoms Law