You’ve heard it a million times: Most Am Law 100 firms are generalists, diversified entities with global reach. From product liability defense in Pensacola to project financings in Perth, they’ll do it all, and they’ll do it well.

True enough. And yet, every firm has its strengths and its preferred venues. Think of the first-mover advantage that native Silicon Valley firms enjoy in the tech sector, or the clubby yet cutthroat world of the Wall Street firms.