SCG Legal September 2026 Newsletter

We are very much looking forward to catching up with so many of our members in Washington, DC, on September 17–18 for our annual meeting. To date, more than 210 attorneys from 45+ countries and most U.S. states have registered for the meeting. This will be the largest meeting in the network’s history, and we are excited to welcome everyone.

It is not too late to register! If you would like to attend, please click HERE to access the meeting portal, which includes all the information you need, including the attendee list, agenda, and registration form.

We Are More Than a Referral Network: A Community That Delivers When It Matters Most 
At our network, we often say that we are more than a referral network of independent law firms—we are a community. Recently, a time-sensitive matter demonstrated exactly what that means in practice. Kimberly Arana an attorney in our Arizona member firm, Fennemore reached out to fellow member Diana Shaw and her team at Wiley in Washington, D.C., with an urgent request. Their client was in Washington, DC and urgently needed to execute a certification document by noon that same day. The document then needed to be notarized, authenticated by the Office of Notary Commissions and Authentications in Washington, D.C., and shipped overnight to Mexico. There was one additional complication: the notary needed to be bilingual.

With only a few hours to complete a process that would normally require significant coordination, the Wiley team immediately mobilized. They quickly identified a qualified bilingual notary and arranged for the notary to meet the client at their hotel. By 11:45 a.m., the document had been signed and notarized. The team then expedited the authentication process and ensured the completed documents were included in a FedEx overnight shipment to Mexico—all within the required deadline. What could have become a costly delay for the client instead became a success story, thanks to the responsiveness, trust, and collaboration between member firms. Because the work did not involve legal services, the Wiley team provided this support to the client on a non-billable basis.

In today’s increasingly complex and interconnected world, having reliable colleagues across jurisdictions is invaluable. Our network provides more than geographic coverage; it provides trusted professionals who are willing to step in and help when clients and our members face urgent challenges. This experience is a powerful reminder of what makes our network unique. Wherever there is a member firm, there is a trusted colleague ready to assist. We are more than independent law firms connected by referrals—we are a global community committed to supporting one another and delivering exceptional service for our clients.

I am honored to work with so many exceptional lawyers from around the globe. In this month’s newsletter, you’ll find numerous opportunities to maximize the benefits of your firm’s membership in our premier global network of leading independent law and lobbying firms.

SAVE THE DATE: SCG LEGAL IN-PERSON OPPORTUNITIES TO MEET
🌐 2026 IBA Cocktail Reception in Copenhagen: October 5
Click HERE for additional information and to register
🌐 2027 Team Asia & Pacific Rim in New Delhi: February 25 – 26 
🌐 2027 Midyear Meeting in London: May 13 – 14 
🌐 2027 INTA Cocktail Reception in San Diego: May 9
🌐 2027 Team Canada in Toronto: June (TBD)
🌐 2027 Annual Meeting in New York: October 14 – 15
🌐 2027 IBA in Singapore: November 14 – 19
🌐 2028 Midyear Meeting in Milan: May 18 – 19

At no cost and inclusive of full production support, SCG Legal continues to support Member firms with webcast opportunities through its Global Spin and Global Spinette series. These promote thought leadership and underpin business development and referral activities across the network as well as externally to current and prospective clients. Click HERE for the full library of episodes.

Recent episodes include:

• Foreign Direct Investment Screening Law Update from the Republic of Cyprus | L. Papaphilippou & Co LLC (Cyprus)
• Grenada in Focus: Law, Business and Investment Insights | SJWLaw (Grenada)
• Barbados in Focus: Law, Business and Investment | George Walton Payne & Co. (Barbados)

Have an idea for an episode? Click HERE for more details. Please contact Events and Membership Manager Erin Kane (ekane@scglegal.com) to discuss the opportunity to record a Spin or Spinette for you/r firm.

CROSS-BORDER CONNECTIONS: NETWORK REGION, PRACTICE & AFFINITY GROUPS 
Looking for year-round opportunities to proactively connect with fellow Members across the globe? Click HERE for a schedule of virtual and in-person activities for SCG Regions, Practice and Affinity Groups. (Bookmark the link as it is updated with any changes.) To be included in the invitation for a specific meeting/date, please email Events and Membership Manager Erin Kane (ekane@scglegal.com).

IN THE LOOP: NETWORK KNOWLEDGE & NEWS 
If members of your firm are producing thought leadership (e.g., blogs, industry guides, in-person events, podcasts, webinars, etc.) please send to/add  sharealerts@scglegal.com to the distribution list. We will share details through any/all appropriate online mediums (e.g., The Weekly Roundup, bi-monthly e-newsletters, LinkedIn) as well as on our Region, Practice, and Affinity group calls. 

REMINDER: REFERRALS 
As you know, it can take numerous interactions to build the rapport and establish the trust that enables client referrals. Once that foundation is laid, referrals become nearly seamless, and Members invest in each other’s success naturally. As Member-to-Member client referrals occur, please help SCG track them. Doing so is critical to:  

• Offer a clear picture of membership value, especially for annual Member firm renewals and prospect Member firm invitations;
• Ensure acknowledgement of/credit to the referring firm; and
• Ensure the firm receiving a referral has an opportunity to profile their practice/s.

Please BCC me at agorokhovsky@scglegal.com on any referral emails. If that’s not possible because of client confidentiality, please send me a separate email letting me know the firm you referred the client/matter to and, as able, the related practice or industry. If you have any questions/ suggestions about this request, please contact me directly.  

2026 VETTED SOLUTION PARTNER 
You are Invited to an exclusive LegalNEXT Program: September 24 & 25 in London and October 22 in New York
LegalNEXT is a global event series by TransPerfect Legal that brings together legal leaders, industry experts, and innovators to explore the trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the legal profession. Through practical discussions, peer-led insights, and meaningful networking, LegalNEXT provides a forum for legal professionals to exchange ideas, learn from real-world experiences, and discover new approaches to today’s most pressing legal and business challenges. Please register HERE and send your questions to our point of contact Sha at sha.zhu@transperfect.com.

SCG’s Annual Meeting this year are sponsored by Network Partners:

UPDATE FROM SCG’S AI STRATEGY EXCHANGE  
SCG Legal’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy Exchange Working Group partner—Legaltech Hub (LTH), the leading insights and analysis platform for legal technology—has created an interactive snapshot that features +600 GenAI products for the legal industry across 19 different categories. Click HERE to access this dynamic resource.

Additional LTH Resources for SCG Members
NEW >> MidLaw Tech & Innovation CLE Seminars: One-day programs focused on helping midsize firms understand and adopt the next generation of legal technology, especially solutions built with Generative AI. Attendees will walk away with a clearer view of the current and future state of legal tech; practical strategies for evolving their legal practice with new tools; insights from solution partners offering tech built for midsize law firm realities; and CLE credit and valuable peer-to-peer networking.

Who should come?

• Leaders at mid-sized firms
• Legal ops, innovation, managing partners, IT Knowledge and tech professionals

What to expect:

• No fluff. No panels for panel’s sake.
• Real conversations about real issues — from tech adoption and operational efficiency to client demands and growth strategy.
• A collaborative atmosphere, tailored to firms just like yours — often too big for small-firm tools, too small for Big Law solutions.

SCG Legal members enjoy a 50% discount on the registration fee ($149 early bird or $249 general admission) with code > LTHSCG.

• September 3 | Washington, DC > Click HERE for details/to register
• October 15 | Boston > Click HERE for details/to register
• October 29 | Miami > Click HERE for details/to register
• November 18 | Atlanta > Click HERE for details/to register.

Reminder >> Stay up to date with LTH’s free e-newsletter > click HERE to subscribe. SCG members can also take advantage of a 15% subscription discount* on content through LTH Premium, which is designed to equip legal professionals, technologists, and lawyers with expert insights and actionable analysis on the rapidly evolving world of legal technology. For more information/To receive the discount, please email sales@legaltechnologyhub.com and mention you are an SCG Legal member. *New subscribers only. Discount valid on first year of subscription only. Offer excludes active LTH clients.

ADDITIONAL INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIP PERKS
Legal Lean Sigma® Institute > All SCG members are welcome to use the promo code SCG25 to save 25% for any fee-required programs such as those highlighted below. New programs are regularly added including free monthly programs.

• Behavioral Economics Certificate > September 8, 9 & 10 | 4 – 5:30 pm ET > REGISTER NOW
• Process Improvement & Legal Project Management Yellow Belt Certification Course > October 10 -14 | 12-3:30 pm ET > REGISTER NOW
• Change Management Certificate > November 3, 4, 5, 6 & 17 | 12 pm ET > REGISTER NOW

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SCG has partnered with the Legal Sales & Service Organization (LSSO), a transformative industry association helping senior sales-/service-focused legal and business professionals thrive in today’s dynamic and competitive landscape, on the following opportunity for network members.

• Coaching Advantage© Certification Program | October 9 & 10 | Virtual with LSSO Certification Program Partner LawVision. SCG members can attend for a preferred rate of $1,899 (20% off). For more information, please click HERE. To register, please contact LawVision’s Christine Hicks > clhicks@lawvision.com.

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IN CLOSING…   

Please take full advantage of SCG’s global reach and impact as well as the benefits our network has to offer. And, as always, if you have any questions or suggestions for how to enhance the engagement experience for you, your firm, and/or our member community, please do not hesitate to reach out. 

I look forward to seeing many of you in Washington, DC at the Annual Meeting!

Alina Gorokhovsky
CEO, SCG Legal
agorokhovsky@scglegal.com
202.580.6527