An era of expansion 

Led by visionary Managing Partner, Tony Angel, Linklaters was the first major international law firm to take branding seriously and strategically. By the early noughties, the Linklaters brand had doubled in size through a string of European mergers. In order for growth to continue, it knew it needed to stand for something beyond scale: it needed something to unite and motivate its people and attract the best clients. Linklaters decided to be different: to have a clear ethos, a strong point of view, and a striking way of communicating that stood apart from conventional and subdued law firms.

Linklaters was the first major international law firm to take branding seriously and strategically

Ambitious to lead

Following an intensive selection process, Principia’s CEO, Ian Stephens* was chosen by the firm to lead a team that worked with partners, staff, and clients around the world to define what was special about the firm: an ability to make things happen whatever the odds, to tackle the most intractable problems and get results. This truth was summarised as ‘achieving the unachievable’ and articulated in a published set of key messages and values.

Taking the Linklaters brand to heart

Work sessions were conducted across the firm, challenging people to find the things they could do to bring the brand concept to life, and a bold new communication style was created, based on words – a lawyer’s main weapon. Through clever wordplay and strong typography, Linklaters developed a distinctive and confident voice in the market. It stands out with a strong reputation as the pre-eminent firm for the most challenging and complex cross-border work for the world’s most prestigious clients.

Linklaters was ranked no.1 in our analysis of the Top 20 UK Law Firm Brands 2019.

First among equals

Although all of Linklaters’ peer firms have since adopted strategic branding programmes of their own, the firm has been successful in continuing to stand out among extremely high-quality competition. Linklaters has continued to ensure that its brand is a visible manifestation of its strategy which has enabled them to consistently lead the so-called Magic Circle firms in terms of the impact and value of its brand reputation. Linklaters was ranked no.1 in our analysis of the Top 20 UK Law Firm Brands 2019.

Scope
Brand research
Brand strategy
Brand messaging
Brand identity
Brand communications
Brand engagement

*then in his role as Principal of Wolff Olins