Have you ever noticed that law firms in Arizona are always the name or names of attorneys? You get “Davis Miles McGuire Gardner,” instead of “The Tempe Town Lake Law Firm”, for example. We are so accustomed to it that non-lawyers have likely not even noticed. But we would certainly have found it strange if every business were called after the name of its owners and operators. Think about it.
So why are law firms different? have we not been bombarded with lawyer advertisements from “Immigration Station, LLC” or “Bankruptcies R Us, PC”? Well, because the Arizona Supreme Court has maintained lawyer regulations that prohibit the use of trade names by law firms–simple as that. And, starting on the first day of 2013, that rule is changing, simple as that. Ethics Rule 7.1 is being amended to allow private law firms to use trade names, with some guidelines, of course.
I do not know what kind of changes this will bring to law firm names, but I have no doubt some firms will take full advantage of the change, for better or worse.
If you have some good trade names for law firms (especially personal injury), feel free to share them with me–privately.