Law firms are playing the name game

September 30, 2002

Las Vegas Business Press

Law firms, both in the valley and around the country are are paying more attention to the name on the door. The days an unwieldy list of partners just won't get it done.

One, two or three names at most, will do just fine in this media age, said Shannon Bybee, a law professor at UNLV's Boyd Law School.

"Once you get past three names, it just doesn't flow," she said. "I think it is recognition by law firms that they need to do more marketing."

Las Vegas law firms are catching on, too.

Tounge-twisting law office names are disappearing locally quicker than you can say Smith Watson Mastrioni Gallaraga Domingowitz Harris Schultz ...

"I think there is a disconnect with the people when the name is that long," said George Ogilvie, Las Vegas managing partner of the firm currently known as McDonald Carano Wilson McCune Bergin Frankovich and Hicks LLP.

That mouthful will become legal history when the firm shortens it name to McDonald Carano Wilson on Oct 6.

Ogilvie said it was time.

"It was just part of moving out of the 1970s into the 21st century," he said. "It was our street name anyway."

The firm will engage in a marketing campaign to get the word out about the fewer words.

Those partners in McDonald Carano Wilson who are losing their place on the stationery weren't upset, Ogilvie said.

While it may work in Ogilvie's office, some legal eagles don't take it so well when they lose their namesakes, he added.

"We have collegian group of partners. Everybody was in favor of this," Ogilvie said. "Frequently, though, it is the cause of partners leaving a firm."

Herbert Jones, a senior partner with Jones Vargas, agreed that egos can get in the way of good business sense.

"Normally, I think it would be 'What is in the best name for the firm?' but when you consider human nature itself, there are people who will say, 'I want my name in the firm.'"

A recent Nevada Supreme Court ruling will also play a big part in the legal name game.

In the past, Nevada Supreme Court Rule 199 required that law firms in Nevada have in their firm names include only the names of lawyers who have been licensed in Nevada. An amended SCR 199 allows for multi-state firms to practice law in Nevada under the same name used in other states.

That's good news for the law firm of Murchison & Cumming, established in 1930 in Los Angeles. The firm opened a Las Vegas office two years ago, but it had to operate under the name of Nevada lawyers - Carraway & Ryan - due to the law at the time.

A good, strong name is key to branding yourself with clients, said Jean M. Lawler, senior partner in the Los Angeles office of Murchison & Cumming.

"Ideally, you have developed a good reputation as a forward-thinking firm and that can be passed down to future generations of partners," she explained. "It's really our 50th year with the name and it represents stability."

Not being able to use the Murchison & Cumming name was hindering business in Nevada, Lawler said.

"We had to explain to clients that we went by a different name in Nevada," she said. "I think it represents in a client's mind. 'The name is changing. Is the quality changing?'"

Jones has seen more than his share of name changes since joining the firm after World War II.

The titles of law firms can just get out of hand sometimes, the longtime attorney said.

"It has something to do with the fact that these names get awfully long in you keep adding partners," said Jones, whose firm has about 60 members now.

"We decided to go with Jones Vargas when we merged with the Vargas firm because those were the names of the most-senior partners."

The branding dilemma isn't one future lawyers normally learn about in law school, either, Bybee said. Instead, they must pick it up along the way.

"The ones that are shortening their names are the ones that are going after big, corporate clients and want to get their names in the paper," he said.