Much Shelist Trumpets Viability of the Midsize Law Firm

Amid ongoing media coverage of law firm consolidation in Chicago and across the United States, there has been limited focus on the viability of the midsize firm. In fact, most coverage in the legal and business media has at least implied that the future of firms like Much Shelist is in question. Our clients and the marketplace clearly tell a different story, and the firm has taken significant steps to make sure that the legal and business communities hear the point of view of a thriving midsize firm.

For starters, the July 2, 2007 issue of the National Law Journal included an opinion piece by David T. Brown, Chair of the firm's Management Committee. Titled "Middle-Market Firms Thriving in the Land of Giants," the article touts the importance of smaller, independent firms to both clients and attorneys. Click here to view the article.

Further supporting this position, the firm recently launched a new advertising campaign called "Cut Loose." The first in a series of four ads poses the question, "Is your business getting lost in the crowd at a huge law firm?" The reader is then urged to "Cut loose."

The campaign, which emphasizes that Much Shelist is committed to remaining independent and "providing Chicago's middle-market businesses with responsive, results-oriented legal services," was featured in the business section of the October 30, 2007 issue of the Chicago Tribune. Titled "Much Shelist Makes a Case for Small, Independent Firms," the article points out that the firm's ad campaign "strikes at conventional wisdom in the legal industry that bigger is better for firms and their clients." The ABA Journal also posted an online article about the campaign titled "Midsize Firm Shuns 'Gigantism,' Touts Service in Ad Campaign."