Unlikely Bedfellows Unite under Internet Brands’ Umbrella

Last month, Internet Brands – a vertical marketing conglomerate in which marketing for the legal industry forms a major pillar – announced that it was changing the name of its law-services website from “The Martindale Legal Network” to “Martindale-Avvo.”  The name change followed the acquisition by Internet Brands of Avvo.com.

To see these two names – Martindale and Avvo – joined together would have been unimaginable even a few short years ago. For decades, Martindale-Hubbell was the most prestigious name in lawyer rankings. Firms spent fortunes to ensure that they were properly listed in the publication, and lawyers around the world chose other lawyers through Martindale.

Avvo arrived on the scene in 2006 with great controversy, following business practices that were widely criticized. Over time, Avvo morphed into a more traditional and powerful referral engine, but to see its name merged with that of Martindale-Hubbell is likely to take some getting used to.

Internet Brands’ announcement of the name change states that “Martindale-Avvo provides attorneys with highly-targeted lead generation and a wide selection of online marketing tools,” including professional websites and online profiles, interactive tools for managing leads and online communication with prospective clients, as well as other benefits – not least of them being access to its more than 25 million monthly site visitors.