Lawyers must invest time in writing deetailed biographies on a firm’s Web site. That’s the first observation in a series we will be posting this summer summarizing comments made by several panels of sophisticated buyers of legal services with whom we have recently sat.

“It really irritates me when a lawyer’s online bio or profile is cursory or lacking in detail – and doesn’t indicate industry experience and include descriptions of and links to key cases,” one general counsel told us. She was on a panel with several c-level executives and owners of significant closely held businesses.

When asked, everyone on this panel agreed that Google searches and “a robust online presence” have substantially replaced legal guides and directories when it comes time to look for outside counsel in a particular area — or to validate a referral.