Law New Agency recently released the "Guide to Outstanding Brand Influence of Law Firms (2025)," which has drawn widespread attention in the industry. Based on a survey of brand-building practices at hundreds of law firms nationwide, the guide identifies new dimensions for evaluating brand influence, covering professional strength, client reputation, industry contribution, and innovative practices. As competition in the legal industry intensifies, brand influence has become a key factor for law firms in securing high-quality clients and attracting talent. However, brand building is not a mere marketing exercise; it involves multiple legal compliance issues. This article will analyze the legal risks in law firm brand building from a lawyer's perspective and

Legal Boundaries of Law Firm Brand Influence: Compliance Red Lines in Promotion

Law firm brand building cannot be separated from publicity and promotion, but the legal profession is strictly constrained by the Lawyers Law and the Measures for the Administration of Lawyer Practice. The "brand influence" emphasized in the guidelines can easily cross compliance red lines if improperly handled. For example, if a law firm's official website or brochures use absolute terms such as "most professional" or "number one," this may violate Article 9 of the Advertising Law and result in administrative penalties. What requires even greater vigilance is that some law firms promote themselves through fabricated cases or exaggerated performance records. This not only violates the provision in Article 32 of the Measures for the Administration of Lawyer Practice that prohibits "soliciting business by improper means," but may also constitute false advertising and damage client trust.

In practice, when lawyers publish favorable judgments on social media, failing to redact the parties' private information may violate the Personal Information Protection Law and the lawyer's duty of confidentiality. If the "client reputation" dissemination mentioned in the guidelines involves lawyers disclosing client information without authorization as promotional material, they will face professional disciplinary action. Therefore, law firm brand building must establish a compliance review mechanism. The author recommends that law firms develop a "Brand Promotion Compliance Manual" to clarify the review process for promotional content, anonymize content involving client information, data, and case details, and ensure that promotion is both effective and lawful.

Balance Between Lawyers' Personal Brands and Law Firm Brands: Avoiding the Risk of Identity Conflation

The guidelines emphasize the contribution of lawyers' personal brands to law firms' influence, but if the boundary between the two is blurred, it may give rise to legal risks. In practice, many lawyers open official accounts and Douyin accounts in their own names, and after accumulating followers, they practice independently, causing loss of clients for the law firm. This phenomenon of "personality mixing" is particularly prominent in partnership law firms. From a legal perspective, client resources formed by a lawyer during their practice belong to the law firm's property. If a lawyer uses such resources to take away clients after leaving, it may violate the non-compete clause in the Labor Contract Law or constitute unfair competition.

On the other hand, there are also risks if a law firm's brand relies too heavily on a single star lawyer. If that lawyer's license is revoked due to violations, the firm's brand will suffer a severe blow. The "brand resilience" indicator in the guidelines is relevant here. Lawyers and law firms should clarify brand usage rules through agreements: the firm may use the lawyer's portrait and name for promotion, but the lawyer's personal accounts must not use the firm's logo without authorization. At the same time, the firm should build a talent pipeline to avoid single-point dependence. From a compliance perspective, both parties can sign a "Brand Use Authorization Agreement" to clarify rights and responsibilities, protecting both the lawyer's personal development and the firm's overall interests.

Data Compliance in Brand Building: Legal Red Lines for the Use of Customer Information and Cases

Brand influence cannot be separated from data support, and the "customer satisfaction surveys" and "case studies" mentioned in the guidelines both involve data compliance. When law firms collect client feedback, if they do not obtain client consent, they may violate Article 13 of the Personal Information Protection Law. Particularly when involving sensitive personal information (such as case details), separate authorization must be obtained. In practice, some law firms use client testimonials as promotional materials without anonymizing client names or industry information, which may lead to client privacy leaks and trigger infringement disputes.

Case presentation is an important part of brand building, but it should be noted that although the Supreme People's Court's regulations on the online publication of judicial documents permit disclosure, lawyers should still redact the parties' identifying information when using cases in promotional materials. At the same time, if a case involves trade secrets or involves minors, it is strictly prohibited to disclose it. When writing case analyses, lawyers should perform "desensitization treatment" and obtain the parties' written consent. Otherwise, they may violate the provision in Article 38 of the "Measures for the Administration of Lawyer Practice" regarding "keeping confidential state secrets, trade secrets, and personal privacy learned during the course of practice."

Law firms should also establish a data compliance system, designate dedicated personnel to manage client data, and conduct regular compliance reviews. In the "Digital Brand Building" section of the guidelines, when law firms use AI tools to analyze client data, they must ensure the legality of data sources and avoid using web crawlers to scrape information; otherwise, they may violate the Anti-Unfair Competition Law and the Data Security Law.

Brand Crisis Response: How Lawyers Use Legal Measures to Resolve Public Opinion Risks

In building brand influence, crisis response capability is key. Under the "Brand Reputation Management" dimension in the guide, when law firms face public opinion risks, they need to respond quickly and lawfully. For example, if a law firm is exposed online due to inappropriate remarks by a lawyer, improper handling by the firm may trigger a more severe reputational crisis. From a legal perspective, law firms should establish crisis response plans, clarifying the legal basis and action procedures.

First, if the public opinion involves false information, the law firm can protect its rights by sending a lawyer's letter, suing for infringement, and other means. According to Article 1024 of the Civil Code, legal persons enjoy the right to reputation, so the law firm may require the infringing party to cease the infringement and make an apology. Second, if the public opinion involves a lawyer's personal conduct, the law firm should promptly distance itself from the matter, issue a public statement, and initiate an internal investigation. However, it should be noted that if the law firm's public statement contains negative comments about the lawyer, it may infringe on the lawyer's right to reputation. Therefore, the statement should be based on facts and avoid subjective speculation.

Finally, law firms should use legal means to carry out “reputation repair.” For example, by issuing compliance statements and conducting public welfare activities, they can rebuild public trust. With regard to the “public-interest legal services” indicator in the guidelines, law firms’ participation in legal aid and legal awareness outreach can both enhance their brand image and fulfill lawyers’ social responsibilities. In crisis response, lawyers should remain professional and calm, avoid “meeting force with force,” and instead resolve issues rationally through legal channels.

Conclusion: The Symbiotic Path of Brand Influence and Legal Compliance

The release of the "Law Firm Excellence Brand Influence Guide (2025)" provides new ideas for brand building in the legal industry. However, the foundation of brand influence is "compliance." Only by strictly adhering to legal boundaries in publicity, data, talent, and crisis response can law firms achieve sustainable growth in brand value. For individual lawyers, brand building serves as an accelerator for career development, but it must be coordinated with the law firm's brand to avoid legal risks. Guangdong Zhiming Law Firm has been deeply engaged in the legal industry for many years and has rich experience in areas such as law firm brand compliance and lawyer practice risk prevention. If you have relevant legal needs, you are welcome to consult us. We will help you develop in compliance and build an excellent brand from a professional perspective.