When the Law Society relaxed its rules on firm names in 1997 there was a fear that solicitors would rush to take on eye-catching, quirky, or downright silly names in an effort to stand out from the crowd.

Three years on, a leisurely browse through the solicitors directory reveals an overwhelming adherence to traditional names.Those firms which have taken advantage of the change to practice rule 11 have done so in a conservative manner.

A flutter of activity around 'C' and 'F' in the directory reveals the Community Law Partnership, the Compensation Clinic and the Family Law Consortium and Practice.

At 'L' the flutter becomes a flurry with Law Brand, Works, Direct, Partnership and Shop.

But there has not been a stampede to re-brand by a legion of frustrated practices.Before 1997, the Law Society's rules required a firm to have an existing or past partner in its name.

Firms are now able to use names of towns or cities; acronyms; descriptions of work types (the Divorce Practice, Land Law); or names including fictional, historic or invented characters (sadly, the Wild Bill Hickok Equine Law Consultancy was never anything but myth).However, two firms which have been more avant garde in their choice of names are commercial law firm the Endeavour Partnership and the media and intellectual property specialists Henry Hepworth, which will soon re-brand as the Henry Hepworth Organisation and H20.When the Endeavour Partnership was set up last year by four partners from local Stockton-on-Tees firms, a lot of thought went into naming the new enterprise.

Paul Bury, a partner at the firm, says they did not want a traditional surname-based name for two reasons: firstly, four surnames was too long and using only two could result in lost reputation for those not included; secondly, the firm wanted a corporate name, easy to remember and encompassing the way the firm intended to operate.

Mr Bury adds: 'The choice of the Endeavour Partnership reflects the way the firm wanted to do business with and for its clients and its local roots.' Captain Cook sailed from Stockton in the Endeavour.Catrin Turner, a partner at the soon-to-be-called Henry Hepworth Organisation says the firm's full name will only be used on official court documentation.

'On the telephone, when talking to clients and in our public brand, we will be H2O,' she says.Ms Turner says the name of Henry Hepworth 'seemed to us a rather old-fashioned and non-user friendly name for the type of clients which we represent'.

She adds that the firm's clients -- mainly media, IT and retail businesses such as Tesco, Littlewoods, Channel 4, Ardman Animation and Associated Newspapers -- are used to dealing with strong brand images.

'Whilst Henry Hepworth may sit well with the legal industry, it is not necessarily as comfortable with clients,' she says.

'The strong H20 brand will represent Henry Hepworth as a young firm, with a modern approach .

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We want clients to associate us with a modern legal consultancy service and with t he brand rather than individual lawyers.'While perhaps not the most unusual or inspired name in the book, Law Direct has been adopted as a registered trading name by two-partner Chester-based firm White Rose Solicitors for a very particular reason.

The business was set up only last year, and the partners wanted to expand it beyond a regional presence.

By working under Law Direct, the firm advertises its expertise in personal injury and conveyancing work as far afield as London.Cameron Robson, a partner at the firm, says: 'People's perception of the firm as linked with a specific area was limiting its client base.

The use of the Law Direct name de-regionalised the firm and suggests things like at-a-distance banking or insurance'.

With personal injury and conveyancing work there is not always a need to see clients, he adds.And White Rose was chosen because it was memorable, presented a strong image, and reflected the Yorkshire heritage of one of the partners.

Maybe Robson Slingsby Solicitors would have lacked that certain extra something after all.In the City, the importance of names is vital in the battle for a global brand which firms hope will be as recognisable as McDonald's or Motorola.

Firms like Clifford Chance, which now has 38 offices in 31 cities worldwide, have decided they can get the best of both worlds by amalgamating the firm's dominant UK name with those of their merger partners.Jeremy Knott, head of marketing communications, says the firm has 'no current plans' to re-brand to Clifford Chance alone.

'Firms like Rogers & Wells in the US and Punder in Germany have significant brand equity in those markets.' He adds: 'To re-brand to the International Law Emporium would lose all the money and loyalty already invested in established law firm names.

If your firm is not well known, then you're not losing much if you give it up.'Arnheim Tite & Lewis -- the UK law office linked with big five accountants PricewaterhouseCoopers -- is soon to take the name Landwell, as are 10 other associated law practices worldwide.

Bridget Juniper, director of global communications for Landwell, says 'the group's ambition is to become a global provider of legal services by reputation as well as size'.

While already the fourth largest law firm network, 'there is a lot more to do to achieve the reputation and for that the law firms need a common name,' she says.Although Landwell may not immediately suggest legal services, Ms Juniper says part of the challenge in choosing a name for such a large organisation was to find one which translated into 42 languages, without being rude, offensive or ridiculous in any of them, and which was easy to say in all of them.Perhaps Warwickshire firm Wright Hassall has won the name game on pure unforgetability.tWordStar 4.0B Messages 14 Feb 87Copyright (C) 1983,1987 MicroPro International Corp.All