Lots of things changed during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it wasn’t all bad.
Some of the more antiquated parts of the rules of professional conduct (ethics rules for attorneys) were updated, largely due to pressures related to massive logistical changes brought about by the mainstreaming of remote work. So, some states dropped bona fide office rules (lawyers need a physical office in the state of licensure), and others got rid of restrictions banning the use of brand names.
In terms of marketing for law firms, the killing of the prohibition against law firms using brand names, in many states where that rule had attained for quite some time, opens up lots of doors for lawyers who want to break from the mold of traditional law firm marketing.
Branding becomes an entirely different endeavor when law firms can use whimsical names, instead of being forced to use only their last names. I mean, what if your last name is hard to spell? What if you get remarried?
Better to choose a static brand name, and draft off the attributes associated with that name.
Grey Wolf Law. (Sounds super tough.)
Paragon Legal. (You must be the best.)
Hole in the Ground Law. (Okay, that’s just weird. I don’t get it – but, you do you!)
In any event, law firms largely being forced into one type of naming convention has foreclosed really interesting branding possibilities for far too long.
So, if you’re just another Johnson & Flynn PLLC, and your state allows for law firm brand names, do something different, and maybe access a competitive advantage you never knew you had.