Why personal branding actually matters for lawyers and how to develop one.
Before we start - no, this is not about being an “influencer”, posting highly dubious career-related anecdotes on LinkedIn.
It’s about your reputation, which is often said to be one of your greatest assets.
We think that’s true - especially for professionals (like lawyers) who rely on their reputation to get the best work from clients.
Internally in a law firm, your reputation influences how colleagues perceive you, it really does impact your career progression and it can be the difference between being overlooked or recommended for the best work.
Here’s a short guide on why it matters more than you might think for lawyers.
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We think the best description of a personal brand is this: it’s how people describe you when you’re not in the room.
It’s what colleagues, partners and clients think of when they hear your name.
And the great thing is - you’re in control of it. It’s your actions that determine it.
For all lawyers, our recommendation is to begin developing your personal brand as early as possible in your career.
As junior lawyers working in big law firms, we have to admit we didn’t see the value of developing a personal brand.
Our mantra was to follow what we thought was solid, tried and tested advice: work hard and keep your head down. If you’re good, people will see it and they will reward you.
That works to a degree, but it’s a bit like running a business without doing any marketing. You could have the very best product in your category, but if you don’t market it, no one will know about it.
Yes, of course raw talent matters, but visibility, perception and what you might call “strategic positioning” are just as important in a big organisation like a corporate law firm where office politics is part of the game.
So our advice to junior lawyers is to be intentional about your reputation and the way you’re perceived internally. Take ownership of your personal brand.
That way, when the right opportunities come knocking, you’ll be the one partners already have in mind as a standout performer rather than just another name on the list.
“Just be yourself”.
Well, yes… but we all know that in reality there’s a “you you”, and there’s a “work you”.
Your goal should be to craft a version of yourself that is authentic but also aligned with the qualities of the person you want to be at work.
If you act like a professional, communicate well and have a positive attitude, you will naturally develop a strong personal brand for yourself.
Colleagues and managers will speak highly of you when you’re not in the room.
That matters when senior lawyers are gossiping about the department’s juniors, it matters in your appraisals and it matters during promotion discussions.
We think a strong personal brand for a junior lawyer looks something like this:
Now, it’s up to you how you want to specifically define yours. Everyone’s will be a little different but we think that’s a pretty strong benchmark.
If you act like a professional, communicate well and have a positive attitude, you will naturally develop a strong personal brand for yourself.
Law Firm | Trainee First Year | Trainee Second Year | Newly Qualified (NQ) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Addleshaw Goddard | £52,000 | £56,000 | £100,000 |
| Akin Gump | £60,000 | £65,000 | £174,418 |
| A&O Shearman | £56,000 | £61,000 | £150,000 |
| Ashurst | £52,000 | £57,000 | £125,000 |
| Baker McKenzie | £56,000 | £61,000 | £140,000 |
| Bird & Bird | £47,000 | £52,000 | £98,000 |
| Bristows | £46,000 | £50,000 | £88,000 |
| Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner | £50,000 | £55,000 | £105,000 |
| Burges Salmon | £47,000 | £49,000 | £72,000 |
| Charles Russell Speechlys | £50,000 | £53,000 | £88,000 |
| Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton | £57,500 | £62,500 | £164,500 |
| Clifford Chance | £56,000 | £61,000 | £150,000 |
| Clyde & Co | £47,000 | £49,500 | £85,000 |
| CMS | £50,000 | £55,000 | £110,000 |
| Cooley | £55,000 | £60,000 | £157,000 |
| Davis Polk | £65,000 | £70,000 | £170,000 |
| Debevoise | £55,000 | £60,000 | £173,000 |
| Dechert | £55,000 | £61,000 | £165,000 |
| Dentons | £50,000 | £54,000 | £100,000 |
| DLA Piper | £50,000 | £55,000 | £110,000 |
| Eversheds Sutherland | £46,000 | £50,000 | £100,000 |
| Farrer & Co | £47,000 | £49,000 | £88,000 |
| Fieldfisher | £48,500 | £52,000 | £95,000 |
| Freshfields | £56,000 | £61,000 | £150,000 |
| Fried Frank | £55,000 | £60,000 | £175,000 |
| Gibson Dunn | £60,000 | £65,000 | £180,000 |
| Goodwin Procter | £55,000 | £60,000 | £175,000 |
| Gowling WLG | £48,500 | £53,500 | £98,000 |
| Herbert Smith Freehills | £56,000 | £61,000 | £135,000 |
| HFW | £50,000 | £54,000 | £100,000 |
| Hill Dickinson | £43,000 | £45,000 | £80,000 |
| Hogan Lovells | £56,000 | £61,000 | £135,000 |
| Irwin Mitchell | £43,000 | £45,000 | £76,000 |
| Jones Day | £56,000 | £65,000 | £160,000 |
| K&L Gates | £50,000 | £55,000 | £115,000 |
| Kennedys | £43,000 | £46,000 | £85,000 |
| King & Spalding | £55,000 | £60,000 | £165,000 |
| Kirkland & Ellis | £60,000 | £65,000 | £174,418 |
| Latham & Watkins | £60,000 | £65,000 | £174,418 |
| Linklaters | £56,000 | £61,000 | £150,000 |
| Macfarlanes | £56,000 | £61,000 | £140,000 |
| Mayer Brown | £55,000 | £60,000 | £135,000 |
| McDermott Will & Emery | £65,000 | £70,000 | £174,418 |
| Milbank | £65,000 | £70,000 | £174,418 |
| Mills & Reeve | £45,000 | £47,000 | £82,000 |
| Mischon de Reya | £47,500 | £52,500 | £95,000 |
| Norton Rose Fulbright | £50,000 | £55,000 | £135,000 |
| Orrick | £55,000 | £60,000 | £160,000 |
| Osborne Clarke | £54,500 | £56,000 | £94,000 |
| Paul Hastings | £60,000 | £68,000 | £173,000 |
| Paul Weiss | £55,000 | £60,000 | £180,000 |
| Penningtons Manches Cooper | £48,000 | £50,000 | £83,000 |
| Pinsent Masons | £49,500 | £54,000 | £97,000 |
| Quinn Emanuel | n/a | n/a | £180,000 |
| Reed Smith | £50,000 | £55,000 | £125,000 |
| Ropes & Gray | £60,000 | £65,000 | £165,000 |
| RPC | £46,000 | £50,000 | £90,000 |
| Shoosmiths | £43,000 | £45,000 | £97,000 |
| Sidley Austin | £60,000 | £65,000 | £175,000 |
| Simmons & Simmons | £52,000 | £57,000 | £120,000 |
| Skadden | £58,000 | £63,000 | £173,000 |
| Slaughter and May | £56,000 | £61,000 | £150,000 |
| Squire Patton Boggs | £47,000 | £50,000 | £110,000 |
| Stephenson Harwood | £50,000 | £55,000 | £100,000 |
| Sullivan & Cromwell | £65,000 | £70,000 | £174,418 |
| Taylor Wessing | £50,000 | £55,000 | £115,000 |
| TLT | £44,000 | £47,500 | £85,000 |
| Travers Smith | £54,000 | £59,000 | £120,000 |
| Trowers & Hamlins | £45,000 | £49,000 | £80,000 |
| Vinson & Elkins | £60,000 | £65,000 | £173,077 |
| Watson Farley & Williams | £50,000 | £55,000 | £102,000 |
| Weightmans | £34,000 | £36,000 | £70,000 |
| Weil Gotshal & Manges | £60,000 | £65,000 | £170,000 |
| White & Case | £62,000 | £67,000 | £175,000 |
| Willkie Farr & Gallagher | £60,000 | £65,000 | £170,000 |
| Withers | £47,000 | £52,000 | £95,000 |
| Womble Bond Dickinson | £43,000 | £45,000 | £80,000 |
Rank | Law Firm | Revenue | Profit per Equity Partner (PEP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DLA Piper* | £3,010,000,000 | £2,400,000 |
| 2 | Clifford Chance | £2,300,000,000 | £2,040,000 |
| 3 | A&O Shearman | £2,200,000,000 | £2,200,000 |
| 4 | Hogan Lovells | £2,150,000,000 | £2,200,000 |
| 5 | Freshfields | £2,140,000,000 | Not disclosed |
| 6 | Linklaters | £2,100,000,000 | £1,900,000 |
| 7 | Norton Rose Fulbright* | £1,800,000,000 | £1,100,000 |
| 8 | CMS** | £1,620,000,000 | Not disclosed |
| 9 | Herbert Smith Freehills | £1,300,000,000 | £1,300,000 |
| 10 | Ashurst | £961,000,000 | £1,300,000 |
| 11 | Clyde & Co | £844,000,000 | £739,000 |
| 12 | Eversheds Sutherland | £749,000,000 | £1,300,000 |
| 13 | BCLP* | £661,000,000 | £748,000 |
| 14 | Pinsent Masons | £649,000,000 | £793,000 |
| 15 | Slaughter and May*** | £625,000,000 | Not disclosed |
| 16 | Simmons & Simmons | £574,000,000 | £1,076,000 |
| 17 | Bird & Bird** | £545,000,000 | £696,000 |
| 18 | Addleshaw Goddard | £495,000,000 | Not disclosed |
| 19 | Taylor Wessing | £480,000,000 | £915,000*** |
| 20 | Osborne Clarke** | £456,000,000 | £771,000 |
| 21 | Womble Bond Dickinson | £448,000,000 | £556,000 |
| 22 | DWF | £435,000,000 | Not disclosed |
| 23 | Fieldfisher | £407,000,000 | £966,000 |
| 24 | Kennedys | £384,000,000 | Not disclosed |
| 25 | DAC Beachcroft | £325,000,000 | £700,000 |
What do City lawyers actually do each day?
For a closer look at the day-to-day of some of the most common types of lawyers working in corporate law firms, explore our lawyer job profiles:
Here are some actionable tips to help you build your reputation:
Meet deadlines, or if you anticipate delays, communicate proactively.
Follow through on commitments - if you say you’ll do something, make sure it gets done.
Pay attention to detail - sloppy mistakes on documents or emails impact can point to a lack of care across the entire project.
Communicate clearly, using simple language that’s easy to understand and gets to the point.
Be clear and concise in emails - use bullet points and structure your messages logically.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions, but frame them thoughtfully (e.g. "I’ve researched X and Y but wanted to clarify Z. Do you have any guidance?").
See our communication guide for lawyers for more tips on how to communicate well as a lawyer.
Like it or not, there is a strong correlation between your career trajectory and the strength of your relationships with the most important people in your firm or department.
So talk to your colleagues and be visible.
Make a point of speaking to senior colleagues in the department - even if it’s just to ask them how their weekend was.
And take time to develop rapport with secretaries and support staff - they often have insights and can be valuable allies.
Attend networking events and firm socials to increase your visibility among partners and senior associates outside your department.
At the very least, keep your LinkedIn profile updated and professional.
Some people like to share insights or comment on relevant legal topics. Perhaps new cases or a recently completed deal.
This can work really well, but only do so if you enjoy this side of things would be our advice. It can look forced and artificial otherwise.
If you do post on LinkedIn, write like the human being with a personality that you are. Keep it professional but also natural and conversational in style. Be authentic in other words.
Ask any senior manager about junior colleagues and they will tell you that attitude trumps aptitude 100% of the time.
No one wants to work with someone who has a bad attitude. No matter how smart they are.
So, show enthusiasm for learning - ask for constructive feedback and act on it.
Be adaptable and resilient - law is demanding, but how you handle pressure shapes perceptions of you.
Take ownership of your professional development. There’s so much you don’t know as a junior lawyer. See that as an amazing opportunity to learn and build your knowledge base.
| Firm | London office since | Known for in London |
|---|---|---|
| Baker McKenzie | 1961 | Finance, capital markets, TMT |
| Davis Polk | 1972 | Leveraged finance, corporate/M&A |
| Gibson Dunn | 1979 | Private equity, arbitration, energy, resources and infrastructure |
| Goodwin | 2008 | Private equity, funds, life sciences |
| Kirkland & Ellis | 1994 | Private equity, funds, restructuring |
| Latham & Watkins | 1990 | Finance, private equity, capital markets |
| Milbank | 1979 | Finance, capital markets, energy, resources and infrastructure |
| Paul Weiss | 2001 | Private equity, leveraged finance |
| Quinn Emanuel | 2008 | Litigation |
| Sidley Austin | 1974 | Leveraged finance, capital markets, corporate/M&A |
| Simpson Thacher | 1978 | Leveraged finance, private equity, funds |
| Skadden | 1988 | Finance, corporate/M&A, arbitration |
| Weil | 1996 | Restructuring, private equity, leverage finance |
| White & Case | 1971 | Capital markets, arbitration, energy, resources and infrastructure |
Ask any PR professional and they’ll tell you this: your reputation isn’t built overnight, but it can be destroyed in five minutes.
So once you’ve built a brand for yourself, you must manage it.
And the way to do that - in our view - is simply to be continually self-aware.
Think before you take action (or inaction) at work:
A momentary lapse in judgement really can have a long-lasting impact on the professional image you've worked hard to build.
Office politics: Be diplomatic and err on the side of avoiding gossip (no matter how juicy) - you want your reputation to be based on merit, not drama.
Social media: Be cautious of what you post. Even a casual comment can have unintended consequences. If in doubt, steer clear of social media altogether.
Overpromising and underdelivering: It’s way better to set realistic expectations and deliver against a pre-agreed scope of work than to commit to something you can’t complete on time.
Law Firm | Trainee First Year | Trainee Second Year | Newly Qualified (NQ) |
|---|---|---|---|
| A&O Shearman | £56,000 | £61,000 | £150,000 |
| Clifford Chance | £56,000 | £61,000 | £150,000 |
| Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer | £56,000 | £61,000 | £150,000 |
| Linklaters | £56,000 | £61,000 | £150,000 |
| Slaughter and May | £56,000 | £61,000 | £150,000 |
Law Firm | Trainee First Year | Trainee Second Year | Newly Qualified (NQ) |
|---|---|---|---|
| A&O Shearman | £56,000 | £61,000 | £150,000 |
| Clifford Chance | £56,000 | £61,000 | £150,000 |
| Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer | £56,000 | £61,000 | £150,000 |
| Linklaters | £56,000 | £61,000 | £150,000 |
| Slaughter and May | £56,000 | £61,000 | £150,000 |
Law Firm | Trainee First Year | Trainee Second Year | Newly Qualified (NQ) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashurst | £52,000 | £57,000 | £125,000 |
| Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner | £50,000 | £55,000 | £105,000 |
| Herbert Smith Freehills | £56,000 | £61,000 | £135,000 |
| Macfarlanes | £56,000 | £61,000 | £140,000 |
| Travers Smith | £54,000 | £59,000 | £120,000 |
| Firm | Merger year | Known for in London |
|---|---|---|
| BCLP | 2018 | Real estate, corporate/M&A, litigation |
| DLA Piper | 2005 | Corporate/M&A, real estate, energy, resources and infrastructure |
| Eversheds Sutherland | 2017 | Corporate/M&A, finance |
| Hogan Lovells | 2011 | Litigation, regulation, finance |
| Mayer Brown | 2002 | Finance, capital markets, real estate |
| Norton Rose Fulbright | 2013 | Energy, resources and infrastructure, insurance, finance |
| Reed Smith | 2007 | Shipping, finance, TMT |
| Squire Patton Boggs | 2011 | Corporate/M&A, pensions, TMT |
Like it or not, law is as much about perception as it is about performance.
If you’re interested in progressing through the ranks quickly, you don’t want to be the faceless lawyer who simply "gets the job done."
You want to be the name that comes up in rooms you haven’t entered yet - the one who’s known for being sharp, reliable and easy to work with.
So, don’t just sit back and hope your work speaks for itself. Be strategic, be visible and take ownership of how you're perceived.
Law Firm | Trainee First Year | Trainee Second Year | Newly Qualified (NQ) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashurst | £52,000 | £57,000 | £125,000 |
| Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner | £50,000 | £55,000 | £105,000 |
| Herbert Smith Freehills | £56,000 | £61,000 | £135,000 |
| Macfarlanes | £56,000 | £61,000 | £140,000 |
| Travers Smith | £54,000 | £59,000 | £120,000 |
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