Most law firms get stuck on the same question: should we focus on building the firm’s brand or the personal brands of our lawyers? But the two aren’t in competition, they’re two sides of the same coin. Clients connect with people, but they trust an established name. If you want to stand out, you need both. Helen Foord, one half of Helen Squared, tells us how to get the balance right.
I’ve spent more years than I care to count helping firms figure out how to present themselves in public without sounding like they’ve swallowed a corporate dictionary. And the biggest stumbling block I see time and time again is this tug of war between personal brand and firm brand.
My honest answer: do both, but do it in a way that’s genuine. Avoid churning out the same boilerplate copy you see everywhere else. Don’t muzzle the fascinating personalities on your team, either. Right now, you hear a lot about “authenticity,” but the word’s become so overused it’s almost lost its meaning. Here’s what I think real authenticity looks like: a lawyer who freely admits, “Yes, I’m a corporate M&A specialist, but I’m also a part-time beekeeper, and that hobby taught me how to stay calm under intense pressure.”
That small personal note cuts through the usual corporate waffle. It resonates with clients because they remember you as a real human being, not just another CV.
The Firm Brand Is Your Promise
Let’s not ignore the firm brand. A strong collective identity isn’t some dusty coat of arms for the letterhead. A good firm brand is a promise. It tells clients, “Behind this individual lawyer with a flair for public speaking stands an entire team that delivers consistent quality.” That promise is critical. If your star partner racks up a following on LinkedIn, that’s great, until you wonder whether the rest of the team is just a bland backdrop. The best approach is to blend both: encourage your lawyers to shine while ensuring everyone’s pulling in the same direction.
In my experience, a solid firm identity acts like the stage, and your people are the performers who bring that stage to life. If you have a clear, compelling message, maybe it’s about championing real-world empathy or making legal advice accessible to smaller businesses, your lawyers can reflect that in their own voices. They might be comedic, serious, chatty, or methodical, but they’ll all tie back to the same core vision. That frees each of them to be genuine, rather than forcing everyone into a “one-size-fits-all” style.
People Want Real Stories
I’ve seen lawyers who thought they had nothing interesting to say, only to discover that a personal anecdote about a messy negotiation or a late-night eureka moment resonated far more than any polished press release. They were surprised that people actually wanted to know about those real-life experiences. But that’s what I mean by marketing with heart: real stories, shared in plain English, that show how you handle challenges and what you’ve learned. If there’s a cohesive brand behind it, clients know these stories aren’t just random. They see a bigger cultural ethos shining through, and that builds trust on two levels, they trust the lawyer’s personal flair and the firm’s capacity to deliver.
Of course, it’s never going to be completely smooth sailing. You might have moments where you think, “Hang on, that LinkedIn post feels a bit too casual,” or “That doesn’t reflect our brand voice.” But if you’ve established a culture of mutual respect, you can gently guide things back on track. It’s far more damaging to clamp down so hard that no one dares say anything interesting at all. That simply leads to safe but forgettable marketing. The real magic lies in letting your people be creative while keeping everyone aligned with core values.
One Example That Nailed It
One of my favourite stories involves a small boutique firm with two partners: one was an extrovert who adored being on camera, the other was more reserved but had a gift for deep, considered analysis. Initially, the introvert worried the other’s video updates would look too casual or unprofessional. But with a bit of strategy and some nudging, they found a balance. The outgoing partner shared weekly video tips about the day-to-day realities of being a lawyer, while the quieter one wrote blog posts showcasing the firm’s intellectual heft. Both pieces ended with the same overarching philosophy: accessible yet high-calibre service.
Suddenly, the loud partner’s brash personality attracted people who appreciated lively content, while the thoughtful blog posts reassured those who wanted nuanced insight. Inquiries shot up, and existing clients felt they knew the team far better. It wasn’t just “Partner A, Partner B.” It was “the partner who makes those fun videos, and the partner who writes those incisive blog posts”, backed by a reputable firm name. That’s the sweet spot.
Turning Human Moments into Trust
I can’t tell you how many times a single post, a reflection on a tough pro bono case or a lesson learned from a tricky negotiation, has ignited a whole conversation about what a firm actually stands for. People connect with vulnerability and honesty more than they do with recycled phrases about “combined experience” or “cutting-edge solutions.” Those concepts might matter, but they aren’t what sticks in the reader’s mind. They’ll remember the day a lawyer admitted they found a certain case emotionally challenging yet immensely rewarding. That moment of humanity is what opens the door for clients who also need a lawyer that cares.
Ultimately, that’s what marketing should be: a way to open up meaningful conversations, not just a chance to brag. When personal branding and the firm brand work together, it doesn’t feel like one overshadowing the other, it feels like the firm is made of real people who share common values and interesting angles. Prospective clients pick up on that. They see more than a name and a logo; they see a collective of professionals who actually enjoy their work and inject their own flavour into it. And that’s the moment when trust deepens, deals move forward, and you forge relationships that go far beyond transactional interactions.
Striking the Balance
If you’re still on the fence, imagine a potential client who asks, “Why should I choose your firm?” Would you rather reel off bullet points from a dull capabilities deck or let one of your lawyers say, “Here’s why I love what I do, here’s how the firm backs me up, and here’s how we solved a challenge just like yours”? That second approach wins hearts. It’s authentic, it’s got passion, and it proves your team aren’t cogs in a machine, they’re genuine professionals supported by a robust framework.
At Helen Squared, we see this balance as an art form: blending personality with consistency in a way that’s both lively and cohesive. We’re not here to stamp out your team’s individuality with an iron set of brand guidelines, nor do we want chaos where everyone’s shouting in different directions. We’re here to show that you can celebrate personal flair while maintaining a strong, unifying brand, a brand that says, “We’ve got your back, and we do amazing work too.”
Once you strike that balance, there’s no going back to bland press releases and boilerplate announcements. You’ll see the difference in how people respond, and you’ll feel the shift in how your lawyers talk about the firm. They’ll be proud of where they work, proud to show who they really are, and that’s when you’ve cracked the code. Because in the end, clients want both: they want the vibrant individuality of your people and the reliability of your overarching firm brand. When you pull that off, it’s not just marketing, it’s the kind of reputation that moves you from being “another law firm” to being the first name on your clients’ lips.
If your firm’s marketing feels a bit… beige, it’s time to shake things up. Let’s have a chat about how you can build a brand that’s both human and powerful – one that clients actually want to engage with. Get in touch with a Helen or drop us a line here.