Alumni News
Outpacing change – the story behind our rebrand
In the five years since Ashurst created its old brand system, the world and the way we do business have changed significantly.
Today Ashurst has a bold 2027 strategy and we have rebranded to reflect our ambition by embracing the concept of ‘Outpacing Change’. We are serious about redefining what a law firm is and how legal services are experienced and delivered, so Outpacing Change perfectly describes our commitment to remain innovative and entrepreneurial. The rebrand is important in shaping how the market sees us, as well as in attracting and retaining – and sometimes even securing the return of – the best and brightest people in the market.
Befittingly, the rebrand project has been led by ‘boomerang’ alumni Diane Gates, Global CMO. Diane is a self-described professional services marketing lifer who worked at one of Ashurst’s predecessor firms in Australia earlier in her career.
She returned to Ashurst in 2020, having been impressed by the firm’s evolution into a truly global, prestigious firm. As Global CMO, Diane is responsible for the firm’s full brand, marketing and communications portfolio. She is “incredibly proud” of her team, what they have achieved and the overwhelmingly positive staff, client and market response to the new brand.
“Our new brand reflects that we are ambitious and serious about redefining what a law firm is and how legal services are experienced and delivered. Outpacing Change is, first and foremost, about working collaboratively with our clients and anticipating their needs,” said Diane.
As a firm, we’re focused on anticipating the market’s ever-changing needs and creating integrated solutions that provide the most strategic value for our clients. An example of this is how our consulting, legal and Ashurst Advance global teams work side by side to deliver a seamless service, bringing together the technical expertise and critical thinking required to operationalise laws and regulations.
With the launch of the new brand, we now have in place a dynamic, powerful and visually appealing brand ecosystem. It has been designed for the future with dynamic digitally enabled assets. It also includes a new visual identity system that is a distinctive, powerful expression of Outpacing Change and features a colour palette that represents the warmth of our people.
“It was a two year journey to develop the new brand, which involved a Brand Steering Group, a 50-strong Brand Champions Partner Group from around the world, our Executive Team and Board, and a UK brand agency called Superunion (now Design Bridge). We also held focus groups with our people and tested our brand with several clients,” said Diane. “Now that we have launched our new brand, the next priority is to make sure it is properly activated and supported across our global markets,” she added.
At every level of the firm, people are excited about this next chapter in Ashurst’s story. We’re ready to be Outpacing Change to create a strong, differentiated presence in the market – one we’re all proud of.
Find out more about Outpacing Change.
