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By Legal Cheek on
40
New logo
Freshfields has unveiled a rebranding, dropping ‘Bruckhaus Deringer’ from its name as part of the refresh.
The Magic Circle firm’s rebrand, which rolls out across the firm from next month, includes a bold new black-and-white, all-caps logo featuring the firm’s name (pictured top).
Commenting on the launch, Freshfields senior partner Georgia Dawson said:
“Our refreshed brand is dynamic and bold, reflecting the entrepreneurial spirit of Freshfields today and our momentum as a firm. With our 280-year history, we continue to operate at the forefront of law, setting new standards, giving our clients the edge in achieving their objectives, and attracting the best talent across the world.”
“We want our brand to reflect who we are wherever people encounter us and bring our strategy to life as we continue our next chapter of growth,” she continued. “One reflection of that is our shortened name that embraces the reality of what people call us in the market and how we refer to ourselves.”
The 2025 Legal Cheek Firms Most List
Freshfields is the oldest Magic Circle firm, with roots dating back to 1743. In 2000, it adopted its current name after merging with the German firm Deringer Tessin Herrmann & Sedemund and the German-Austrian firm Bruckhaus Westrick Heller Löber.
The Legal Cheek Firms Most List 2025 shows Freshfields is one the largest trainee recruiters in the City with an annual TC offering of around 90. It’s also one of the top paying firms, with newly qualified associates earning a salary of £150,000.
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Dying to know how much the marketing consultants pocketed for this new logo. Inspired.
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(185)
(4)
lol
Consultants strike again. This time they’ve just used WordArt.
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(104)(3)
Missed opportunity
Why not “Freshfields, Bruckhaus, Deringer”? Commas are in fashion at the moment.
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(47)(1)
Genuinely Awful Logo
Horrendous logo
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(102)(4)
Stinklaters
Goodness me, it’s hideous.
The old logo and branding had continental sophistication combined with venerable English heritage.
And now they’ve destroyed it merely to satisfy the apish sensibilities of USian simpletons.
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(124)(6)
Vomitting rn
It’s so ugly I can’t even….
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(58)(3)
FBD associate
Rest assured, everyone that isn’t a partner here HATES it. An awful, awful re-brand and no, staff were not widely consulted
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(95)(2)
lol
Shoosmiths called, they want their logo back
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(59)(2)
Yikes
Shoosmiths reading all the negative comments and realising it applies to them
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(21)(1)
FBD enjoyer
Hasn’t gone down well at the firm. Not yet spoken to a single person who likes it, including partners. Terrible and terribly expensive vandalism.
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(78)(2)
RIP FBD
Literally no one likes it. Just wait until you see the other new logos these branding geniuses have come up with. Out with the historic blue, angel symbol and nice font; in with something that a 6 year old could have designed – all to appease the Americans. Hideous.
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(86)(2)
Inside scoop
Genuinely thought my colleague was winding me up when shown this earlier. Other responses overheard in the corridors/lifts/restaurant include:
-“what the f*ck”
-“NOOO”
-“that is awful”
-“hideous”
-“what are they thinking”
General consensus is we’ve traded in arguably the nicest logo in the legal market with actual history/identity for an eyesore, and paid God knows how much for the pleasure
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(76)(1)
Stinklaters
You guys really did have the nicest logo and coolest name.
I genuinely thought the cover photo of this article was a Roll on Friday-esque joke.
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(29)(2)
James
In my opinion Ashurst Morris Crisp had the nicest logo, ditched long ago.
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(6)(1)
Graphic Designer
Agreed, Freshfields have joined Ashurst in the club of worst rebrands.
Ashurst Morris Crisp & Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer (with their respective logos) > Ashurst & Freshfields.
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(2)(0)
Anon
Even just shortening the name and keeping the logo would have been fine, right?
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(6)(0)
Cultural Protector
Following the trend of fashion houses such as Burberry and Yves Saint Laurent, they’ve butchered their European roots, prestige and sophistication for a typeface that blends into the melting pot of faceless and common logos.
At least A&OS dared to have some quirks such as a funky font and a bold colourway…
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(32)(1)
Uncharitable Fellow
Can’t wait to see Freshfields release their streetwear collab with Dappy from N-Dubz.
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(42)(0)
Lol
Hold up, it actually does look like the Farfetch logo…
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(10)(0)
Pathetic
They couldn’t scream “we are a Paul, Weiss knock-off” harder if they tried.
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(14)(1)
Oldfields
Looking forward to seeing the new brass nameplate on 22: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/145980707858?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=_VZLBbGXTTq&sssrc=2047675&ssuid=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
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(1)(0)
Ew
Ew why change
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(7)(0)
Logo enjoyer
As creative as the Law Society of Scotland’s logo.
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(1)(0)
Ex FBD
TERRIBLE
FBD LOST ITS IDENTITY
Such a shame!
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(8)(0)
6PQE Consultant
We absolutely finessed Freshfields for top dollar
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(15)(2)
Quinn
They didn’t get rid of the angel though….and honestly, dropping the latter two names just makes sense. The US might be calling the shots but it’s working if you look at their growth and profit. Can’t be a truly elite law firm if you’re not elite in the US market
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(4)(24)
Bongo
If anything US law firms are way more likely to have German sounding names like Gottlieb Rosen Katz Weiss etc
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(19)(0)
Non-Russell Final Year
Traded their identity to look like a Chinese fast fashion brand
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(20)(0)
Ron Seal
Looking forward to their new marketing campaign. FRESHFIELDS: DOES WHAT IT SAYS ON THE TIN.
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(8)(0)
Anon
Tragic.
Really great thread on the phenomenon of all logos starting to look the same here:
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(8)(0)
Dominique
I am surprised that this was signed off!
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(9)(0)
Hello darkness my old friend...
The angel flew away when he saw the new soulless logo… the blue followed!
Seems like the Freshfields have become Coldfields :'(
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(8)(0)
Francesca
US chiming in here.
Don’t blame us for this hot garbage. We hate it too.
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(22)(0)
ex FBD
entrepreneurial spirit….LOL. FBD is the most unenterprising firm in all of history.
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(2)(3)
Anon
Low budget London day festival logo lol
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(11)(0)
NQ
Appalling new logo. We hate it in London, and I know our colleagues across the US are not happy.
Wonder what our German colleagues think – since it’s the German element of the brand that has been dropped…
No one under 40 would ever sign off on such a dated and underwhelming logo. How about asking the trainees and associates next time? Probably wouldn’t end up with something so dreary.
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(13)(0)
FBD alum
A few points on the ‘trying to crack the US’ goal of this rebrand:
1 – Everyone in the US legal market have long thought ‘Freshfields’ sounds like a grocery store chain. It does even more so now
2 – The most profitable firms across the US all have about 6 surnames in their name
3 – The US loves history and legacy
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(7)(0)
DWF associate
It’s like a name in a cross word puzzle. How many other law firms can you name through the letters…
Very interesting. I wonder what the alternatives were.
Oh well…
I hear DWF is following suit – not paying for any advice of course, just asking a legal secretary on the living wage to type something out.
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(1)(0)
Antoine the Swan
Looks very similar to the Printworks logo. Maybe a few partners in Germany who were familiar with the early German techno scene in the 90s were keen to marry up their firm’s branding with London’s most storied industrial nightclub, trading away the Bruckhaus Deringer name for the new font.
Or maybe not…
Reminds me also of the SNL “Papyrus” skit too.
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(3)(0)
Freshfields Former Angel
Bad. Just bad.
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(2)(0)
