Choose a Name for a Law Firm
Law firms were traditionally named after the founding partners. Some firms still follow that strategy today, but there is also more room for creativity as emerging law firms enter the industry. Some firms are named for the area of the law that they specialize in. Other firms use words or phrases to grab the attention of potential clients. Choose a name for your law firm that is meaningful to the practice and that makes sense to the clients.
Contents
Steps
Using Surnames in Your Firm’s Name
- Use family surnames. If you have a law firm with a family member, you might consider doubling the name to give a name to your law firm.
- For example, Morgan and Morgan would make a good name for a law firm with parents and children or two siblings, or even husband and wife practicing together.
- Use partner surnames. If you are staring your law firm with a few partners, use everyone’s last name to acknowledge all the partners.
- Blandino, Smith, White and Edwards would work for a firm founded by 4 partners.
- Choose more interesting surnames over plainer surnames. If you have some partners with plain names like Smith or Jones, these names might not stand out to your clients. Names like Sugarman and Hoopendahl are more memorable. These might be a better choice for the first name in a series of partner names.
- Consider the order of multiple names. Often, if you are using partner names for the firm, each attorney would like their name to be listed first. Obviously, only one name can go first, so the partners will have to agree on whose name is first.
- Remember that if you have more than two names in your firm’s name, people will be most likely to use the first two names to describe your firm.
- Because the first two names will be the most often used, these names need to be the most memorable, distinctive and easy to remember.
- Keep the firm’s name brief. If you are using names, try to limit the number of names you include. This will help people remember you.
- Shorter or fewer names will be easier to include on signs, business cards and email addresses.
- Leave out surnames that are hard to pronounce or spell. A name such as Oleskewicz might not be the best choice for a law firm name. Your clients might not be able to pronounce this name easily.
- Check your law firm’s initials. If you use a few partner names or a combination of words, be sure to check what the initials spell. You might not like the abbreviation for something like Peterson, Edwards and Edgemont.
- Discuss any potential names with your law partners. You may have to carefully negotiate with your law partners about which name to use for your firm. Make sure that you include your partners in the name choosing process and come to a decision about a name that everyone is reasonably happy with.
Avoiding Misleading Names
- Do not use non-lawyers as partners. Under the Rules of Professional Responsibility, lawyers are not permitted to form a law firm with any non-lawyers acting as partners.
- A law firm can employ lawyers and professional staff (such as paralegals and secretaries), as long as the professional staff does not own any interest in the firm.
- Don’t choose a name that implies a connection with a public agency. The Rules of Professional Responsibility states that false or misleading names for law firms are prohibited. Your firm’s name should not imply that you have a connection with a government agency. Likewise, don’t imply a connection with a public or charitable legal services organization.
- For example, a law firm located in Denver could not be named “Denver Legal Clinic” because that name implies that the firm is actually a public legal aid agency.
- Do not use the name of any lawyer holding a public office. The name of a lawyer who holds a public office may not be used in a law firm name during any time that the lawyer is not actively practicing with the firm.
- For example, the law firm name “Obama & Associates” would be considered false and misleading during the years of 2008-2016 because President Obama did not practice at the firm during his presidential terms.
- Do not falsely claim a partnership. Lawyers cannot state or imply that they practice in a partnership or other organization when they do not.
- For example, two lawyers, Clarence Smith and Stephanie Jones, may share office space, but they may not in fact have formed a law firm together. Therefore, they cannot use the name “Smith and Jones,” because that name suggests that they are practicing law together in a firm when they really are not.
- Include names of retired or deceased law firm members. It is not considered false or misleading to use the names of retired or deceased partners. Just make sure that these individuals did in fact practice in the law firm.
- Check business name restrictions in your state. When registering the name of your law firm, check if your state has any further restrictions on business names.
- For example, in Texas, no business may register a name that is the same as another business’s registered name.
Branding Your Law Firm
- Include your specialty in your law firm name. If you specialize in criminal law, family law, tax law or other areas, consider choosing a name that reflects your area of legal expertise.
- For example, The Davis Family Law Group signals that your firm specializes in family law.
- Think about branding when choosing a name for your law firm. A long name might be used professionally, and then shortened when used in marketing and advertising materials.
- For example, a firm legally called Legacy Tax & Trust could simply be called Legacy by its clients and partners.
- Consider trademarking your firm’s name. If the branding associated with your firm name is extremely distinctive, you may consider trademarking the firm name and the brand.
- To trademark your business name, simply visit the United States Patent and Trademark Office website. There is a form available online that will register your trademark. Download this form and fill it out.
- The form will require you to provide information about your business.
- Additionally, the fee to trademark a business name is between $275 and $325.
Taking Your Community and Clients into Consideration
- Get feedback from trustworthy sources. Ask a few close friends or business associates to give you feedback on your list of possible names. Give them at least 3-5 names to choose from. Ask for honest opinions and reasons for why they like or dislike certain names you propose.
- Be aware of negative associations. Your community’s population will be the ones to use your service. Make sure you get feedback from a few members of the community to understand if there are any negative associations with your firm’s name.
- Keep the name professional. Creative names can work in your favor, but remember that you are providing a professional service, and clients need to take you seriously.
- Make sure the name makes sense. Don’t just make up a word or name. This will probably confuse people.
- If your firm’s name is not immediately obvious to people (such as using your last name), you should be able to explain why you chose the name.
- Consider names of other law firms in your area. You do not want to name your own law firm something that is too similar to a competing firm. Choose something original that will stand apart from your competition.
- Avoid alliteration. Lewis Legal Lords may sound cute, but people rarely look for that quality in their attorneys, and having a silly name may hurt your business.
- People want an attorney who takes the practice of law seriously. They also want someone who maintain a professional business, rather than someone who jokes around a lot.
- Anticipate growth. Make sure your name is broad enough to include areas your law firm might grow into.
- For example, if you are currently specializing in divorce, rather than naming your firm Davis Divorce Law, consider using Davis Family Law.
Warnings
- Think carefully before you name your law firm, especially if you’re changing it from an old name. It can be costly to print new letterhead and business cards. It can also impact your customer awareness if you change your firm’s name.
