News

New brands and refreshed ones.

During 2025, firms have been busy introducing new brands and revitalising others to help strengthen their positioning. Here are a few examples.

Expressing innovation, Swedish style

It’s easy to claim ‘we’re innovative’ — a cliché found on countless law firm websites — but behaving innovatively is quite another matter. A firm’s actions and presentation often reveal the truth. The launch of Swedish-backed private equity firm AGRD illustrates this perfectly.

AGRD is the latest example of how alternative business models are rapidly emerging to challenge the traditional LLP structure—placing innovation at their very core. And there’s nothing traditional about AGRD, starting with its name.

Instead of taking the well-trodden route of naming the firm after its founders, AGRD has signalled its disruptive intent by reimagining the word ‘agreed.’ By removing the vowel ‘e,’ the firm created the distinctive four-letter name—AGRD—pronounced ‘agreed.’ This subtle yet intelligent twist ties the brand directly to notions of agreement and collaboration, central to its guiding ethos of ‘agreement for progress.’

The concept of ‘agreed’ runs through AGRD’s narrative and brand promise: ‘We have agreed to bring the business of law into the future.’ Establishing and expressing a clear brand promise lies at the heart of effective branding—something we explored in our article ‘So, what is branding?’

AGRD’s overall tone is approachable, open, and deliberately challenging—an authentic reflection of its progressive outlook. Its visual identity reinforces this philosophy: modern, bold, and imaginative, it embodies an ideas-driven approach that stands apart—decisively—from the aesthetics of traditional LLPs. In both style and substance, AGRD is already behaving like an innovator, setting the right expectations with its stakeholders for what’s to come.

Mishcon de Reya: Showcasing mindset of innovation

Of course, AGRD benefits—at least in part—from starting with a blank canvas. Established firms, by contrast, must evolve their brands and branding over time. Few have done this better than Mishcon de Reya, and their latest campaign demonstrates exactly how.

 ‘We find our edge at the edge of what’s possible’ sits at the core of Mishcon de Reya’s bold new brand promise — a statement that reflects its commitment to serving clients through innovation, technology, and AI. These elements are central to empowering the firm’s lawyers to deliver excellence.

As part of a wider brand-building initiative that highlights how the firm invests in solving clients’ most pressing challenges, Mishcon de Reya’s current multi-media campaign showcases AI and innovation in a way that is bold, intriguing, and unmistakably distinctive. It’s a striking example of a campaign that is both on-brand and genuinely disruptive — in tone, design, and spirit.

By contrast, our research suggests many firms still take a more generic approach. As explored in our article ‘Visualising innovation: What do you see?’, claims of ‘innovation’ are common—and often well-intentioned—but the way firms present themselves frequently tells a different story. Perception, after all, is reality.

Takeaway: If you promise disruption, you must act unconventionally. Anything less isn’t true disruption.

How two magic circle firms tell their ‘how’

Refreshing a firm’s brand identity often sparks a ripple effect—one that influences how it presents its approach to innovation and, crucially, how that story is told through its website. The ‘how’ matters most. Two recent examples stand out: Clifford Chance and Freshfields.

Clifford Chance’s rebrand reinforces its promise to ‘create advantage for clients.’ The firm says this commitment extends to ‘everything we do,’ innovation included. Its messaging has evolved from ‘Innovation is action’ to ‘Innovation for advantage,’ signalling a shift from simply offering practical solutions to delivering innovations that generate measurable business value.

Freshfields has made a similar evolution. Moving beyond its earlier focus on ‘Connected Innovation’ —the interplay of people, processes, and technology—the firm now frames innovation as a way of ‘shaping the future of legal services,’ ‘solving real-world challenges,’ and helping clients ‘stay at the forefront of their industries.’

Big firms, big promises—each cantered on the why: why they innovate, why they serve clients. Yet true differentiation lies in the how. The why—delivering client value—is universal. The how is what sets firms apart, shaped by their positioning, commitment, and capabilities. To truly stand out, firms must articulate and evidence their how.

From their websites, it’s not clear that Clifford Chance or Freshfields have fully achieved this. Both highlight their global reach, multidisciplinary teams, and depth of expertise—yet these feel strikingly similar. What firms do and why they do it rarely changes; the real distinction lies in how they do it. Finding the real how requires a process of digging and questioning – something we outlined in our article—‘The Big Deep (for Differentiation).’

Round-up from around the firms

Charles Russell Speechlys (CRS) and Burges Salmon whose innovative strengths have never been in doubt, yet until recently remained understated online – has now joined the growing list of firms choosing to articulate their innovation story. Still, several other tech-savvy players, such as Penningtons, RPC, and Taylor Wessing, remain silent. Currently, 12 of the UK’s Top 50 firms (24%) say little or nothing about their innovation capabilities, even amid the ongoing AI revolution.

CRS chose to focus on how a ‘culture of innovation’ is a ‘collective effort’, highlighting its commitment, initiatives, and achievements. In contrast, Burges Salmon’s message centres on how its multi-disciplinary team sits ‘at the heart of our client service delivery.

Further down the rankings (UK firms 51–100), there were few changes since we last reported. Only nine firms (18%) spoke about innovation—while 82% are still quiet – slight downgrade since 2022 when we reported 78% were quiet – ‘What’s happening below £100m?’.

When it comes to silence, US firms fare even worse. Our latest research into the Top 20 US firms found that only Baker McKenzie, Cooley, and Dentons (classified as US firms for this analysis) have anything to say about innovation. Giants like Kirkland & Ellis and Latham & Watkins, despite their undeniable prowess, remain tight-lipped. Perhaps it’s conservatism—or the belief that innovation and legal tech are simply baseline expectations for any sophisticated modern firm. Still, they might take a cue from Cooley, a heavyweight in tech, life sciences, and high-growth sectors, which has gone as far as publishing its AI principles and curating an accessible content hub showcasing its wider innovation activities. Bold approach in itself.

Finally, outside the traditional rankings, a couple of newcomers stand out. Three Points Law (UK) positions itself as a ‘tech-enabled’ alternative to the traditional firm model, while Crosby (US) — describing itself with the somewhat ominous tagline ‘The Agentic Law Firm Built for Execution’— joins the growing ranks of AI-first challengers. Their branding may not yet scream disruptive, but the rise of these tech-driven alternatives is unmistakable — and it’s bound to increase the pressure on legacy firms to rethink how they present themselves. Something addressed in a previous article, ‘Branding technology and innovation: too beige?’

Features

60 seconds with Hélder Santos, Global Head of Legal Technology and Innovation, Bird & Bird

Hélder leads the legal tech innovation agenda and delivery at the firm. With over 20 year’s experience working for both law and consulting firms, we asked Hélder to share his experience and insights to championing legal tech at Bird & Bird.

Brandtech: Bird & Bird has deep roots in the tech sector, working closely with innovative, tech-driven clients. How has this heritage influenced your own approach to legal technology and innovation?

Working with tech-driven clients over the years has fundamentally shaped how we approach innovation within Bird & Bird. We’re not observing change from the sidelines — we’re part of it. Collaborating with businesses that constantly challenge the status quo has pushed us to adopt the same mindset: experimental, data-informed and focused on practical outcomes.

This experience has taught us that successful innovation in legal services isn’t about chasing the latest tool, but about meaningful adoption and measurable impact. Our deep roots in the tech sector give us a unique perspective— we understand how our clients think, operate and evolve, and that helps us deliver legal solutions that are both forward-looking and grounded in real business needs.

Brandtech: What sets your approach to legal technology and innovation apart from other major law firms?

What truly sets us apart is our deep-rooted understanding of the tech sector and those who operate within it. We understand the sector inside and out, which shapes how we build and deliver LegalTech solutions. Our collaborative, cross-functional approach, bringing together expertise from our lawyers and business services teams, ensures we develop tailored solutions that are both cutting-edge and aligned with client and regulatory expectations. This, combined with our ‘tech DNA’ and genuine enthusiasm for innovation, allows us to stay ahead of the curve and offer creative, technology-driven strategies that truly differentiate us.

Brandtech: You use the term LegalTech to describe your technology-driven capabilities, but innovation extends beyond technology. How do you help internal teams understand and embrace this broader concept of innovation?



Innovation at Bird & Bird goes far beyond technology. While LegalTech is an integral part of what we do, real innovation is about improving how we work, collaborate, and deliver value for our clients.

We help teams see this by broadening the definition of innovation—it’s not just about new tools, but about any idea that makes things better. That could be a new process, a more innovative way of working, or a creative client solution.

To support this, we’ve launched Bloom—a dynamic space where everyone at the firm can share ideas to improve, grow, and optimise our business. Accessible through Microsoft Teams, Bloom lets you submit and track ideas, comment on others’ suggestions, and help bring the best ones forward.

Bloom also allows for sub-campaigns tailored to specific teams or departments, encouraging targeted collaboration. Every idea follows a straightforward process, with review by subject matter experts and the Bloom Steering Group, ensuring that each suggestion is evaluated correctly and can be developed further.

The goal is to make innovation part of everyday work, not a separate initiative. Whether your idea is big or small, it matters. Together, we can capture and grow the innovations that will drive our success. Innovation has always been part of our DNA at Bird & Bird, and we must continue to be seen as one of the most innovative law firms in the world.

Brandtech: Partner engagement is essential when showcasing a firm’s legal tech capabilities to clients. What initiatives or communications do you use to raise your team’s profile and support partners in this ‘selling’ process?

Partner engagement is absolutely central to how we showcase our legal tech capabilities. We take a hands-on, collaborative approach, ensuring partners have everything they need to confidently discuss and demonstrate our solutions to clients. That includes tailored materials such as case studies, client success stories, and practical demo content that highlight real impact rather than theory.

We also run regular training and briefing sessions to keep our people up to speed, ensuring they can talk about our LegalTech offering in a way that genuinely connects with client needs. Where it makes sense, we join client meetings and pitches directly to show how our tools work in practice and how they can solve specific challenges.

Ultimately, it’s about alignment — understanding what matters to our lawyers and their clients, and making sure our LegalTech offering is positioned as a natural extension of the firm’s overall value. This approach not only supports our partners in ‘selling’ innovation but reinforces a culture where embracing new ideas and smarter ways of working becomes second nature.

Brandtech: How do you foster internal engagement with legal tech and innovation across the firm, and what challenges have you encountered along the way?

Trust is everything when it comes to adopting new tech like AI. Without it, any new technology, no matter how powerful, is going to hit resistance. That’s why we lead with clear, honest communication and encourage everyone to experiment and learn.

Upskilling our existing team underpins that success, so we have designed a new best in class AI and tech training programme, for all our people. Built by our Tech & Comms lawyers, professional support lawyers, legal tech and AI leads, IT trainers, and a specialist partner, it delivers practical, bite-size learning. Core modules cover safe, effective AI use: LLM limits, risks, and smart prompting. The academy is a global resource for fee earners and business support staff at all levels. It provides our people with access to a comprehensive suite of resources and AI training.

As a law firm, we are leading the way by mandating training like this, because we recognise incredible potential that AI technologies offer in enhancing our work and driving positive outcomes for our clients.

Brandtech: Reflecting on how you’ve branded and communicated your innovation and technology initiatives, what achievements are you most proud of?

What I’m most proud of is that innovation and technology aren’t just talking points for us – they’re embedded in how we work and how we think. We’ve built a culture where people feel comfortable experimenting, sharing ideas, and challenging old ways of doing things. It’s not forced; it’s part of who we are.

Externally, we’ve shown clients that our tech isn’t theory – it delivers real results. Through collaboration, success stories, and open conversations, we’ve shown how our tools make a tangible difference. We also take an active role in industry events, panels, and client sessions, using these platforms to share our experience and demonstrate the real-world impact of our innovation. That combination of authenticity, visibility, and real delivery has strengthened Bird & Bird’s reputation as a firm that doesn’t just talk about innovation but lives it, standing out as a genuine leader where law and technology meet.

The Big Dig (for differentiation)

In discovery sessions we always ask partners and innovation teams: “How are you different?” Most people stop at the first answer — usually vague and shallow. When that happens, we push back: competitors could easily say the same thing. Then we keep asking more how’s to uncover what actually sets the brand apart.

The Big Dig — an example.

Imagine a mid-sized law firm.

Q: How are you different from competitors when it comes to innovation?

A: We provide new ways of delivering legal expertise.

Q: How do you provide those new ways?

A: By using our Innovation and Legal Tech team to build smart, effective solutions.

Q: How does that team deliver them?

A: By integrating technology, process design, legal project management and legal expertise into one cohesive team.

Q: How do you integrate your experts?

A: By following our Teams of Teams methodology to deliver customised solutions with cross-functional teams.

Bingo. That last answer is concrete — and something competitors are less likely to have. A vague ‘new ways of delivering legal expertise’ becomes specific once you keep digging.

Most firms stop after one or two answers. That’s not enough. You must dig deeper to discover what truly differentiates you. Sometimes multiple ‘hows’ still won’t produce a single standout claim — because the real advantage is relative: having more of what clients value than your nearest rivals.

To find that relative edge, analyse your customers, your organisation, and your competitors — and then keep digging.

The takeaway.

True differentiators are rarely obvious. They’re buried beneath a few layers. Keep asking ‘how’ until your brand can say something that no one else can.

Publishing AI Principles

Transparency is essential for fostering collaboration and trust — particularly in the context of Artificial Intelligence. While few firms would argue otherwise, our research suggests that when it comes to publishing their approach to AI for example, many are merely paying lip service to the idea. Only 11 of the UK’s Top 50 law firms (22%) have published AI principles of some description on their websites to address client concerns, meet regulatory obligations, and demonstrate responsible innovation.

Clifford Chance, Norton Rose Fulbright, and Stephenson Harwood stand out as exceptions. Acting ‘responsibly’ each have publicly shared their AI principles and governance frameworks, outlining their commitments to privacy, security, governance, training, and ethical standards. While these disclosures may not be exhaustive— reflecting a desire to protect intellectual property and competitive advantage—their inclusion within broader discussions of AI and innovation highlights a deliberate effort to position their firms as proactive, forward-thinking leaders in the field. As Hélder Santos at Bird & Bird notes when talking about the firm’s AI policy “it’s designed to foster a culture where innovation thrives — but always within the bounds of client expectations and regulatory standards.”

While some firms adopt a degree of openness to attract clients and talent who value transparency, most do not currently do so. In fact, 39 of the UK’s Top 50 law firms (78%) maintain a degree of discretion when it comes to sharing the finer details of their AI implementation and governance. However, this trend is likely to evolve, influenced by several external factors — including client expectations, competitive pressures, the standardisation of best practices, and the growing need to build trust in an AI-driven future. We will keep a watching eye!

About

We are a boutique branding and design agency specialising in the legal sector. For over 25 years, we have partnered with leading law firms to craft and implement creative branding solutions to help set them apart. Increasingly our focus is helping firms brand their business of law capabilities —an area of growing importance for firms. We have helped firms define, position, and communicate their innovation and technology capabilities, ensuring their brand truly reflects the full scope of their expertise and forward-thinking approach.

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Further information, contact Grahame@soukiasjones.co.uk.