I think it has more to do with quality (and bullshit) detection. If a search engine sucks, it's pretty easy to try a different one and see if the results are b

I think it has more to do with quality (and bullshit) detection. If a search engine sucks, it's pretty easy to try a different one and see if the results are better. If you get hosed in a law suit, it's not as clear that the outcome would have been better with a different firm. Pedigrees matter a lot more when it's hard to directly evaluate the quality of the output so decision makers default to signalling.