Jack: Online challenge is changing rapidly
Most law firms are failing to send AI engines like ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini the signals they need to recommend them to potential clients, groundbreaking research by Black Letter Communications [1] has found.
The AI Reputation Index [2] – conducted in association with legal marketing intelligence platform Legmark [3] – lists the 250 law firms that are most visible to AI and therefore most likely to be cited by it. Magic circle giant Clifford Chance comes top.
But it said that, while many of the City’s largest players are in the top echelon, so were far smaller firms that the technology recognised because they have successfully proven that they are excellent at what they do.
They include City-based Arc Pensions Law (seventh in the table), Cardiff firm Wendy Hopkins Family Law (ninth), top offshore practice Carey Olsen (10th), London white collar crime firm Corker Binning (11th), McAlister Family Law in the North-West (16th) and international arbitration practice Three Crowns (18th).
The research explained that while law firms have for years focused on search engine optimisation (SEO), as AI becomes the default search engine for many, they are having to shift to generative engine optimisation (GEO).
The difference, it was, was that they were no longer trying to rank a page – they were trying to shape how the AI described them.
“A search engine returns multiple links and lets the reader choose; an LLM reads the web, weighs it and hands back a single answer. So the challenge is to provide it with evidence – such as reviews, directory entries, rankings and independent media coverage – so that every source the AI cross-checks tells the same story.
The AI Reputation Index analysed over 5,300 law firms and gave them a score out of 20 against five criteria, leading to an overall score out of 100:
- Authority Signals – awards, accreditations, media mentions, independent recognition;
- Review Sentiment – volume, recency and tone of client reviews across platforms;
- Brand Visibility – online presence, directory listings, third-party mentions;
- Specialism Clarity – how clearly a firm’s areas of practice are defined to AI systems; and
- Risk Exposure – complaints, regulatory issues, negative press.
The average firm scored 57 out of 100, and roughly two-thirds sat in a band of 40–69. “The sector reads to AI as largely undifferentiated, a wall of firms that look broadly the same,” the report said.
Of the five categories, Authority Signals (8.2) was the weakest sector-wide, with Specialism Clarity (14.5) and Risk Exposure (16.0) the strongest.
“The awards, accreditations and earned media AI can verify are exactly what most firms lack… Having what you say about yourself validated by third-party websites and sources is critical to building your brand authority,” the report said.
Clifford Chance leads with a score of 94, and just six firms break 90. The very top is reached on authority and brand, not on client reviews, where even the elite have gaps.
While the top is dominated by global firms with vast budgets, the research said these were not decisive. “Well-regarded regional firms with strong local reviews and sharp specialisms consistently out-score larger firms that read as generic to AI.”
The success of boutique firms was a lesson for all, including those with multiple service lines, to evidence the quality of their individual specialisms as well as the overall practice.
Kerry Jack, CEO of Black Letter Communications, which specialises in the legal sector, said: “The online challenge is changing rapidly. Reputation, visibility and AI discovery are now the same conversation. The old goal of being on the first page of Google results has been replaced by being the first firm named by an AI when a potential client asks it for pointers.
“The good news is that the playing field is level. The gap between the largest law firms and boutique practices, as well savvy regional firms, is far smaller than any traditional ranking would suggest. AI doesn’t care how big you are. It cares how clearly, and how credibly, you can be understood.”
Sam Borrett, CEO of Legmark, added: “Law firms need to recognise that the tactics of SEO, while still valuable, are not enough in the age of GEO.
“The AI Reputation Index sends a clear message. To stand out, law firms need regional or national recognition, clear specialism signals, an active client-review presence and, above all, corroborating authority from media and independent directories that AI can cite.
“All of these are within reach, whether you are one of the biggest law firms in the world or a 22-person family practice in south Wales.”
Legal Futures Editor Neil Rose is a strategic consultant to Black Letter Communications