The well-established Biglaw firm, Steptoe & Johnson, popularly recognized since 1916, has decided it’s time for a change. Though the firm has long been referred to simply as Steptoe, they have now made it their official registered legal name, much to the disappointment of Colonel Louis Johnson, the previous Secretary of Defense, and co-namesake of the original company.
The weight of history falls heavily on the firm, with a now discarded name that carried significance in America’s twentieth-century political and legal landscape. Despite losing the recognition in the Biglaw firm (number 101 on the Am Law list), Johnson will still maintain an eponymous practice.
The transition of the name isn’t the first significant split in the law firm’s history. In 1980, Steptoe & Johnson underwent an
“amicable” division which resulted in two separate entities sharing the same name. This split separated the West Virginia and Washington D.C. offices of the original company. The West Virginia-based firm will continue to retain the full name, Steptoe & Johnson.
The rebranding signals the start of a new chapter in the firm’s history, with the condensed name, Steptoe, now fully taking center stage. The firm is entering into a new marketing journey, undeterred by the double legacy it leaves behind. On the other hand, the smaller Steptoe & Johnson PLLC can claim some resilient victory in outlasting their larger counterpart in bearing the original name.
For deeper insights into this story, you may want to visit the original article here.