the network started with approximately a dozen local members and now includes members in more than 45 countries and 150 cities globally. consulegis was established in 1990 in hamburg, germany, as a european economic interest group (eeig), to enable lawyers in germany to have access, through network colleagues, to the courts in other cities at a time when lawyers could not themselves practice outside their own jurisdictions. consulegis has since expanded into all of western, central and eastern europe, scandinavia, the united kingdom, north and south america, australia, asia, japan, the pacific rim, the middle east and africa.