An urgent foreign hearing creates two pressures at once. The client expects continuity from the lawyer they already trust, while the court or tribunal may require someone admitted locally. The safest response is not panic-searching for a name. It is a disciplined handoff that preserves control of the matter.
Confirm what must happen locally
Start by identifying the precise act that requires local counsel: physical appearance, electronic filing, signing a pleading, speaking to the clerk, lodging a bundle, or taking instructions at court. Do not delegate the whole matter if only one procedural step needs local authority.
Clear conflicts before documents move
Even under time pressure, a conflict check comes before disclosure. Send only party names and non-sensitive identifiers first. Once the local lawyer confirms they can act, share the documents needed for the hearing and label what is essential, background, or not to be used without approval.
Write authority limits plainly
The local lawyer needs to know what they can agree to in the room. Settlement terms, adjournments, admissions, undertakings, cost positions, and procedural concessions should be separated into "may agree", "must call first", and "do not agree" categories.
Tell the client before the hearing
Clients usually accept local counsel when the reason is explained clearly. Tell them who will appear, why local admission matters, how the fee is handled, and whether you remain the lead lawyer. A short written note avoids the impression that responsibility has quietly shifted.
Close with a useful record
Ask for more than a one-line status update. The close-out note should include what happened, what was filed or handed up, what the decision maker focused on, new deadlines, documents received, and recommended next steps.
Urgency does not remove professional duties. It makes the checklist more important.