Become a Member Firm

Grow your law firm by becoming a Member Firm of Olney-Fraser.

Member Firms

Member Firms are local law firms who are members of our global law firm. They are the entities that are compliant with local regulations for legal practitioners in their jurisdiction. We provide legal services through our Member Firms.

Benefits of being a Member Firm

1. Enhanced Credibility and Trust with Clients

•A global brand communicates professionalism, legal excellence, and reliability.
•Multinational clients feel confident engaging a firm with a recognized global presence.
•Positions the firm as a trusted advisor for complex, high-stakes matters.

2. Access to International Clients and Markets

•Ability to serve cross-border clients with seamless legal support.
•Opens doors to global corporates, financial institutions, governments, and NGOs.
•Supports clients' international operations with consistent quality and local insight.

3. Premium Positioning and Fee Potential

•A well-known global brand allows for premium pricing based on reputation.
•Perceived value translates into higher billing rates and increased profitability.
•Clients are more likely to engage a global firm for strategic, high-value mandates.

4. Stronger Competitive Advantage

•Differentiates your firm from local and regional competitors.
•Clients often prefer firms that can offer global reach with local capability.
•Enhances success in competitive RFPs and panel appointments.

5. Attracting and Retaining Top Legal Talent

•Lawyers are drawn to firms with a global platform and brand prestige.
•Offers international secondments, training, and career progression.
•Increases internal mobility and retention of high performers.

6. Efficient and Scalable Marketing

•Global brand consistency allows for cohesive messaging and thought leadership across jurisdictions.
•Shared branding and resources reduce duplication of effort in marketing, BD, and client relationship management.
•Enables faster promotion of new practice areas or service lines.

7. Resilience Across Economic Cycles

•Exposure to multiple jurisdictions mitigates risk from regional downturns or legal reforms.
•Diverse revenue streams from various geographies and sectors increase financial stability.
•Flexibility to shift focus across practice groups or markets depending on demand.

8. Greater Appeal to Institutional Clients and General Counsel

•Large corporates and financial institutions often prefer working with global firms that understand their cross-border challenges.
•Ability to support multi-jurisdictional compliance, litigation, M&A, and regulatory work.
•More likely to be included in global legal panels or preferred counsel programs.

9. Thought Leadership and Influence

•A global brand gives your firm a platform to shape legal discourse and policy on ESG, technology, international arbitration, human rights, etc.
•Enhances your ability to publish globally respected insights, white papers, and rankings.

10. M&A, Expansion, and Strategic Growth

•A strong global brand provides leverage in:
•Mergers with other firms
•Opening new offices
•Recruiting lateral partners
•Increases your firm's valuation and strategic options if exploring consolidation.

If your law firm is interested in becoming a Member Firm, please contact Darren Olney-Fraser at

darren@olneyfraser.com

Applications
Open

Terms of Membership

Using the Olney-Fraser name

How the brand, its partners and referral arrangements work across our Member Firms.

Member Firms who trade under the name “Olney-Fraser”

In each jurisdiction, there can be only one Member Firm who trades exclusively under the name Olney-Fraser. If there is such a firm, then no other Member Firm can trade under the name “Olney-Fraser” or can include the name “Olney-Fraser” in their firm name. They have exclusive rights to use the brand in their name.

All Partners of this Member Firm are automatically entitled to also be Partners of Olney-Fraser.

Typically, this suits a new group of partners who want to set up a new law firm to be the local representative for our international brand, or partners of a small local firm who will give up their existing name.

Member Firms who trade under a name that includes “Olney-Fraser”

In a jurisdiction where there is not a Member Firm who trades under the name “Olney-Fraser”, there can be a Member Firm who trades under a name that includes “Olney-Fraser”. If there is such a firm, then no other Member Firm can also trade under a name that includes “Olney-Fraser”.

All Partners of this Member Firm are automatically entitled to also be Partners of Olney-Fraser.

Typically, this suits existing law firms who want to join with our firm without losing the goodwill in their existing name. Ultimately, they may phase out their old name.

This authorisation can be terminated by the Management Committee if another Member Firm is authorised to trade under the name “Olney-Fraser” in the jurisdiction.

Guidelines and Artwork

In each case, we issue a set of guidelines to Member Firms regarding the use of the “Olney-Fraser” name.

We are only as good as our reputation, so it is important that all Member Firms, Partners and employee lawyers of Member Firms use the name in a consistent manner so as to build up our brand globally.

We achieve that by having standards about the way we practice law within the firm and Member Firms, and the way that you use the brand name.

The Management Committee’s guidelines for artwork includes guidance about signs, letterhead, business cards, websites, email format, and social media, etc.

These guidelines would also apply to lawyers who practise under their own name and identify as a ‘Partner of the international law firm Olney-Fraser’.

Referral Fees

Member Firms pay Olney-Fraser referral fees for legal work that is referred to them. This is a percentage of the fee revenue referred to them from other Member Firms/Partners. These referral fees fund our administrative operations, and support Partner Bonuses.