First, there was the Magic Circle. Then, those nice people at The Lawyer brought us the Silver Circle. Now, The Firm Identity suggests the next roundness-inspired taxonomy for law firms: the Knitting Circle.
Eh? The Knitting Circle, so called because it represents all the firms looking to merge. We all know who they are, even if they don’t publicly admit to it. The question is, what does an intention to merge do for one’s brand?
It can be damaging. Unmanaged merger rumours can make a firm appear desperate and insecure, alienating potential clients and (perhaps more importantly) potential employees. Far better, I suspect, to be reasonably open about one’s intentions, admitting that there is a growth strategy that might be realised by an association with a firm that meets stringently applied, pre-planned criteria.
Incidentally, in the exciting world of LSA-pocalypse, which firm will be the first to merge with a non-legal organisation? Serious and creative suggestions welcome.
I was looking to join a firm that has merged four times in six years and was still on the look out for another. To me it smacked of desperation and totally put me off.