David Rapalski and Katarzyna Karpik from Baker McKenzie, explored the delicate balance between developing a personal brand whilst working within the established framework of a major international law firm. Drawing from their extensive experience in marketing and brand development at one of the world’s largest law firms, the discussion revealed practical strategies for lawyers seeking to build their professional presence without compromising firm guidelines or brand integrity.

The Framework Challenge

The conversation opened with acknowledgement of the fundamental tension facing lawyers in large firms: the desire to establish individual recognition whilst operating within carefully curated brand parameters. Karpik, with nearly a decade of experience in international law firm marketing, emphasised that personal branding within firm structures offers significant advantages through established reputation and dedicated resources, but requires careful navigation of compliance frameworks.

This dynamic varies considerably across career stages and geographical markets. Junior lawyers typically operate under closer supervision from partners and senior counsel, with initial guidance serving as the primary filter for brand-building activities. More established practitioners enjoy greater autonomy in their brand development efforts, particularly those with proven track records and independent practices.

The Big Firm Advantage

Both speakers highlighted the substantial advantage that major firms provide through dedicated marketing teams and specialised resources. As Rapalski noted, lawyers attempting independent brand building must invest considerable personal time in understanding social media dynamics, content creation, and audience targeting—expertise that marketing teams provide as standard support.

The discussion addressed the growing role of artificial intelligence tools, particularly large language models, in content creation. Karpik endorsed these technologies as valuable time-savers whilst emphasising that effective implementation requires foundational knowledge of audience targeting, messaging strategy, and platform dynamics. The tools excel at content generation but remain dependent on skilled prompting and strategic direction from users who understand their professional objectives.

“Even by using any tools, you still need to invest a lot of time and you need to know how to use it,” Karpik observed, noting that successful brand building extends far beyond automated content generation.

Communication Style and Audience Considerations

A significant portion of the session focused on the challenge of translating legal expertise into accessible communication. Both speakers identified the tendency of lawyers to default to technical language and formal structures that may alienate potential clients seeking more approachable advice.

Karpik described her role in editing content from lawyers: “Each piece that is coming through me, whether it’s a LinkedIn post or article, I read through and I suggest changes.” Her approach emphasises education rather than simple correction, helping lawyers understand why certain modifications improve audience engagement.

The speakers recommended practical strategies for improving communication effectiveness, including putting oneself in the client’s position and using AI tools to assess content accessibility. Rapalski suggested prompting language models to evaluate whether content would be digestible for specific target audiences.

Values, Ethics, and Professional Positioning

The discussion addressed one of the most sensitive aspects of personal branding for lawyers: expressing personal values and ethical positions whilst maintaining professional objectivity. The speakers acknowledged this as “the third rail” for legal professionals, requiring careful consideration of potential consequences.

For lawyers at major international firms, any expression of controversial viewpoints requires consultation with marketing teams and senior leadership. However, the speakers noted successful examples of sole practitioners and boutique firm lawyers who have built strong brands around specific ethical positions or social causes.

“You’re gonna alienate maybe 50% of your potential client base, but maybe you will empower and engage that other 50% that will now really want to do business with this person,” Rapalski explained, highlighting the strategic trade-offs involved in values-based positioning.

Hierarchy and Generational Dynamics

Contrary to expectations about younger lawyers driving change in professional branding, both speakers observed continued strong influence of traditional hierarchies. Karpik noted that younger lawyers “depend a lot on the hierarchy” and tend to defer to senior colleagues rather than pushing for independent brand development.

The speakers identified established lawyers as more likely to take strong ethical positions or pursue distinctive branding strategies, benefiting from proven track records and reduced financial risk. This pattern suggests that personal brand development often follows rather than precedes professional establishment.

Platform Strategy and Audience Targeting

The conversation reinforced LinkedIn’s dominance as the primary platform for legal professional branding, particularly for business-to-business client development. However, the speakers noted strategic use of other platforms for specific purposes: Instagram and Facebook serve employer branding objectives, particularly for attracting younger talent and showcasing firm culture.

“The tool always depends on the target,” Karpik emphasised, advocating for platform selection based on audience demographics rather than personal preference or industry conventions.

Supporting Introverted Professionals

Recognition of lawyers’ diverse personality types led to discussion of strategies for supporting introverted team members in brand development. The speakers acknowledged that extroverted personalities often dominate professional branding efforts, potentially overlooking valuable contributions from more reserved colleagues.

Their solution involves proactive marketing team engagement with introverted lawyers, identifying specialisation areas and providing substantial support in content development and promotion. “Give me a plain text, and I will make you a star,” Karpik declared, emphasising the transformative potential of professional marketing support.

Measurement and Competitive Dynamics

The session addressed lawyers’ traditional resistance to performance measurement whilst emphasising the necessity of establishing key performance indicators for brand-building activities. Karpik advocated for specific, measurable outcomes such as generating three new requests for proposals following conference attendance.

Both speakers noted the effectiveness of leveraging lawyers’ competitive nature to encourage participation in brand-building activities. Demonstrating successful outcomes for one lawyer often motivates colleagues to pursue similar strategies, creating positive momentum within firms.

Technology Tools and Implementation

Beyond AI-powered content creation, the discussion touched on various technological solutions for brand building. The speakers referenced automatic time recording systems and emphasised the importance of systematic approaches to content development and distribution.

However, they consistently returned to the fundamental principle that technology serves as an enabler rather than a substitute for strategic thinking and genuine expertise. Successful personal branding requires authentic content backed by professional competence and clear understanding of target audiences.

Practical Recommendations

The session concluded with several actionable recommendations for lawyers seeking to develop their personal brands within firm structures:

First, secure internal support by consulting with partners and marketing teams before launching brand development initiatives. This ensures alignment with firm policies and maximises available resources.

Second, focus on authentic specialisation areas rather than attempting broad professional positioning. Lawyers with genuine expertise in specific niches can more effectively differentiate themselves in competitive markets.

Third, leverage available resources fully, particularly marketing team expertise in content creation, platform management, and audience engagement. Professional support significantly improves efficiency and effectiveness of brand-building efforts.

Fourth, consider personality type and comfort level when selecting brand-building strategies. Introverted professionals may benefit from written content and behind-the-scenes support rather than high-visibility speaking opportunities.

Finally, establish clear measurement criteria for brand development activities to enable continuous improvement and demonstrate value to firm leadership.

Conclusion

The session reinforced that personal brand development within major law firms requires balancing individual recognition with institutional loyalty and compliance. Success depends on leveraging available resources, maintaining authentic professional positioning, and adapting strategies to individual strengths and market demands.

The speakers’ experience demonstrates that major firms increasingly recognise personal branding as essential for business development and talent retention. However, effective implementation requires strategic thinking, professional support, and commitment to long-term relationship building rather than short-term promotional activities.

As legal markets become increasingly competitive and clients demand more personalised service relationships, the ability to develop distinctive professional brands within institutional frameworks will likely become an essential career skill for lawyers at all levels.