Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman has also rebranded and shortened their name (I’m a Pillsbury alum for full disclosure). I have to give kudos to Pillsbury for pulling off their new logo. I’m still trying to decide if I like it, but it most definitely isn’t the same ol’ law firm logo.

For all the misery we go through to roll out a new corporate identity, is it really worth it in the end? Do law firms rally around the new corporate ID, or crucify the CMO who rolled it out? Corporate IDs and Websites are lasting 3-5 years (or until the next merger), coinciding with the average tenure of a CMO, lol. And, most of the law firm logos I have seen end up pretty bland in the end.

My firm’s logo when I got here (brown & green) was so disliked that the new business cards were dumped on the managing partners desk, and I am charged with fixing it all (thank God, all decisions were made right before I got here). So, we’re going from “modern” to “conservative,” yet keeping some contemporary in the mix. We’ll be rolling out in June.

The idea of switching to white paper is still a bit “out there” for some of the attorneys, and I was heard arguing with a partner: “WHAT’S TRENDY ABOUT THIS??? IT’S GRAY??”

At the end of the day, the new logo better fits our conservative attorney and insurance industry client base. And, while the new logo is only a temporary fix, it has helped us break from the Stuart F. Cooper design and cream colored paper that have been in use since 1965.

We will begin a “real” rebranding program next summer, to roll-out for our next “anniversary” and office move in 2010. I hope to do something “really cool” … but am I just deluding myself? Will I only end up with a headache, something waterdowned and bland, and having to update my resume?

For those who have been there, done that … what advice do you have for your fellow Coolerite?