Big firms like Wolf Theiss, White & Case, and CMS are often seen as marketing powerhouses, but many of their best ideas don’t require huge budgets or global teams.
When it comes to marketing, large international firms often set the tone with sleek websites and polished campaigns. But the truth is, you don’t need a large regional or global footprint or big budgets to benefit from the same strategies. Many of the best marketing moves from “Big Law” can be adapted by smaller and mid-sized firms with just a little creativity.
Here are three great tricks that large firms use and how you can copy them to strengthen your fim’s marketing presence.
Example 1: Wolf Theiss Making Services Tangible with Real Examples
Go to one of the expertise pages on Wolf Theiss’s website and you will find that its marketers don’t just publish a long list of services. They bring these services to life with real-world examples of these services being applied – concrete stories like:
- Effective global enforcement: Advising the US investment management company in a USD 5 billion case regarding the enforcement of the bondholder’s rights.
- Extensive restructuring project: We advised a client in the financial industry on a large-scale restructuring project, including employee redundancy, relocation and TUPE situations.
- Sensitive matters of online hate speech involving personality and IP rights: We have provided advice in relation to the Austrian government’s “Combat Hate in the Internet” package consisting of the Communication Platform Act and the “Hate-in-the-Internet” Act, both aimed at protecting users of digital forums and social media platforms from falling victim to online hate speech.
For prospects, these examples show the scale, complexity, and real-world impact of the firm’s work. But here’s the trick: you don’t need a huge team or massive budget to do this. Smaller firms can do the same by browsing through past work (with client permission or anonymization if needed) and strategically adding examples to their practice/expertise pages.
It’s a simple but powerful way to make your expertise tangible and relatable instead of abstract.
Example 2: White & Case Building Thought Leadership Around Themes
White & Case goes beyond publishing press releases. Its legal and marketing professionals have created thematic hubs that tie their expertise to trending global issues. Their “Trendscape” section focuses on major topics like Achieving Net-Zero, Digital Acceleration, Driving Responsible Business, etc.
Each theme becomes a living content hub, where the firm adds fresh perspectives, reports, and insights over time.
This approach accomplishes two big things:
- It positions the firm as a thought leader in areas clients care about.
- It boosts search visibility. Clustering related content around a theme is one of the most effective SEO strategies.
The great part? Smaller firms can absolutely do this too. Simply pick a couple of issues your ideal clients are grappling with and start publishing short articles, updates, interviews, and FAQs around those themes. Over time, you’ll build a recognizable voice and digital footprint in those niches.
Example 3: CMS Turning Lawyers’ Bio Pages Into Authority Pages
Bio pages for lawyers at CMS don’t just list the qualifications of their people (where they went to school, which practice areas they are involved in, and what languages they speak). They also feature two crucial elements:
- Articles and insights the legal expert has published on the firm’s site.
- Testimonials and client feedback – e.g., quotes from Legal 500 and other directories, client testimonials, etc.
This transforms a lawyer’s bio into a mini authority hub, making each professional stand out as a recognized expert in their field.
For smaller firms, this is an easy win. Instead of just listing degrees and past roles, enrich each lawyer’s profile with authored content, media mentions, client feedback, or industry recognition. It builds trust with prospects and helps establish the entire firm as a team of go-to experts.
None of these marketing strategies require the budgets of large firms or dozens of staff members. They can be replicated by smaller firms – as long as they are willing to pay attention to their marketing and digital efforts.
By Saida Ayupova, Founder, Five-o-eight
