Davis Wright Tremaine Claims Avvo Profiles
When we launched Avvo last June, I think it’s fair to say that we were greeted with a mixed reaction from the legal community. Even some solo practitioners — for whom Avvo’s free online profiles seemed a perfect fit took issue with the new approach we were bringing to the industry.
How things change in just a few short months.
Today we are proud to announce that Davis Wright Tremaine, one of the top law firms in Seattle, has claimed the Avvo Profiles of all 225 lawyers in their Seattle and Bellevue offices. As much as this is an endorsement of Avvo, I think it also signals a recognition within the legal industry that the Internet is changing the way firms must conduct their business. A listing in Martindale Hubbell or the Yellow Pages just won’t cut it anymore even for large law firms that rely largely on referrals for new clients.
Davis Wright Tremaine claimed their profiles using our Firm Claim feature, which makes it easy for an individual within a firm to claim and if they choose to, maintain — the Avvo Profiles for every lawyer in the firm. While Davis Wright Tremaine is the largest firm to date to utilize Firm Claim, 17 firms have done so to date and more are in process (see a partial list below).
For more information on Firm Claim, check our the Firm Claim page or email us at customercare@avvo.com
Finally, many thanks to the forward-looking attorneys at Davis Wright Tremaine, and to Mark Usellis, their Director of Marketing and Business Development, for demonstrating their support of Avvo and consumers.
Partial List of Firms Utilizing Firm Claim
Davis Wright Tremaine
Ryan, Swanson & Cleveland
Stanislaw Ashbaugh
Savitt & Bruce
Wallin & Klarich
TroyGould
Wisselman, Harounian & Associates
Ziff, Weiermiller, Hayden & Mustico
HoganWillig
Amer Cunningham
Adduci, Mastriani, & Schaumberg
Lipman & Wolf
February 21st, 2008 at 10:31 am
Here’s a thought. Websites that maintain a presence for people come and go. (I’m slowly becoming a fan of Avvo, though I have yet to claim my profile!)
In this day and age, many people I know maintain 3-5 web “presences”. Linkedin/Facebook/blog/flickr, etc. This takes a lot of time. Something that would greatly increase traction here is a guarantee from the site that the transaction costs in signing up will be slim to none. That means two things primarily. No marketing or “connect” emails (unless requested), along with an assurance that the person’s email will not end up on a list. The second thing is that it must be easy to just terminate the profile/relationship. I’m not commenting one way or the other on Avvo’s practices and perceptions of Avvo, but these are the questions I ask myself when deciding to sign up.
February 21st, 2008 at 11:48 am
Good news and in time believe other firms will follow.
I would have disclosed though that Avvo is a client of Davis Wright and the firm represented Avvo in the successful defense of the class action attempting to shut down Avvo. Suspect a fair amount of money passed hands for those fees – though I am sure Davis Wright would not be listed in Avvo if the firm did not believe it worthwhile and Avvo to be credible directory. Blogs done well are more transparent communication than PR.
As way of disclosure, Davis Wright is a LexBlog client with multiple clients. Avvo, though only a mile away, is not a LexBlog client and dodges the discussion when asked why not. ;)