Garrigues, Uría and Cuatrecasas lead brand perception in the legal sector
Garrigues, Uría Menéndez and Cuatrecasas account for more than 61% of spontaneous recall, according to the Brand in Law report. The firm with the best global perception is Uría Menéndez.
The Brand in Law study, which focuses on analysing brand positioning in the legal sector, examines how in-house lawyers perceive law firms and what attributes determine their positioning and ability to differentiate themselves. The project was developed in collaboration with the URJC–Lefebvre Chair of Business Law and Technology Applied to Best Legal Practices, which provided the methodological and statistical framework, with the support of consultants Eugenia Navarro, Sara Santos and Blanca Remírez de Ganuza.
The study combines qualitative and quantitative techniques, including group dynamics, in-depth interviews and a structured questionnaire that obtained 103 valid responses from general counsels and in-house lawyers from leading companies in key sectors such as services, technology, energy, pharmaceuticals and finance, among others.
This basis allows for an accurate snapshot of how the legal brand is configured in Spain and what factors most influence decision-making in the selection of firms. The results show that the three most influential attributes in hiring are trust, technical quality and customer service, all with scores above 8.8 out of 10.
Spontaneous awareness
Garrigues and Uría Menéndez top the spontaneous recall index, with 21.37% each. More than a fifth of respondents mentioned these firms without external prompts when asked about law firms. Cuatrecasas is close behind, with 19.08%. The top ten also includes three international firms: A&O Shearman, Baker McKenzie and Clifford Chance, all three with 3.44% in the spontaneous recall index.
The ranking continues with the national firm Pérez-Llorca (3.05%), followed by Écija. The top 10 is completed by White & Case (1.91%), Gómez-Acebo & Pombo, Hogan Lovells and Linklaters, all with 1.53%.
Positive awareness
In terms of favourable assessment for specific reasons, the ranking shows slight changes. Uría Menéndez leads with 17.44%, followed by Cuatrecasas and Garrigues, both with 13.18%. Respondents evaluated these firms based on factors such as reputation, previous experience, perceived quality, communication, innovation and ethics.
They are followed in the top 10 by: A&O Shearman (5.04%); Baker McKenzie and Pérez-Llorca (4.65%); Clifford Chance (3.88%), Gómez-Acebo & Pombo (3.49%), Ecija (3.10%) and BDO (2.71%).
Uría Menéndez’s position in both indices highlights it as the firm with the best overall perception.
Conclusions
Although aspects such as innovation, technology and ESG criteria have been promoted in recent years, they are still not perceived as determining factors in the selection of an external law firm. Although legal directors recognise their importance, few consider them to be strategic or differentiating factors when hiring.
The report also highlights the growing role of the lawyer’s personal brand as a decisive factor. The interviews conducted show that attributes such as judgement, problem-solving skills, strategic vision and a real understanding of the business are increasingly important in the hiring decision. At the same time, it confirms that trust, technical quality and customer service remain the three attributes most valued by in-house lawyers.
On the other hand, although innovation and technology are not yet perceived as decisive factors, the study emphasises that the ability of firms to integrate technology into their culture will be one of the major challenges that could make a difference in the very near future.
