Rush Ihas
Creating a powerful new website and online brand for a boutique commercial litigation firm
The firm
Rush Ihas Hardwick LLP, founded in 2007, is a Kelowna-based firm dedicated to excellence in commercial litigation. They expertly oppose big-city law firms across Canada, representing worldwide clients on the most sophisticated cases. Rush Ihas is British Columbia’s largest boutique litigation firm outside Vancouver, delivering results in the courtroom and in negotiated resolutions.
The challenge
Rush Ihas had a simple website that didn’t adequately represent the firm’s bench of talented lawyers, or their wealth of knowledge and experience. They relied on branding that consisted of a straightforward typeface logo, with room for improvement to convey the firm’s excellence-only attitude and unparalleled litigation capabilities in their market. To increase opportunities for direct competition within the nationwide commercial litigation landscape, Rush Ihas needed a comprehensive brand to enhance their visibility against other firms.
The work
“We’re proud of our firm’s track record of successfully litigating matters at every level of court against the top Vancouver firms. We needed an online brand presence to help us attract and engage clients, referral sources, media, lateral hires, and exceptional students. The talented team at fSquared Marketing guided us in creating a brand and website that sets our firm apart from the competition.”
– Jeffrey Robinson, Partner, Rush Ihas Hardwick LLP
Branding & Identity
Discovery & Verbal Brand: Finding the Firm’s Voice
Through our discovery sessions with the Rush Ihas team, we learned about their vision and the reasons they are trusted by clients, to help us identify the firm’s brand spirit and personality. We helped the firm develop key messages to convey their exceptional team’s trial-readiness in complex litigation, their commitment to forging enduring client relationships, and their expansive reach beyond their location in the Kelowna community.
Visual Brand: Designing the Firm’s Image
The team at Rush Ihas trusted our experienced legal marketing and design team to showcase the firm’s sophistication, expertise and competitive edge through a new website — anchored by a powerful and comprehensive brand identity. We chose a clean font scheme and high-contrast colour palette for a concise and streamlined look that reflects the sophistication of high-end law firms. For the logo, we designed angular graphic elements to create a wordmark with a bold and stunning impact.
Communications Tools & Collateral
To complement the firm’s digital presence, we designed a custom stationery suite including business cards, letterhead and envelopes using thick, matte white stock for a crisp and substantial feel.
Website Design & Development
Scope & Site Build
For the firm’s new website, we conveyed skill and professionalism through clean lines and simple design. To highlight the expertise of the firm’s attorneys, we developed a new “Firm Updates” section. This blog-style page easily allows for frequent case updates, event listings, firm news announcements and insight pieces.
We also incorporated essential features for today’s websites — including accessible design for users with visual and hearing impairments, and responsive design optimized for all devices and screen sizes.
Creative Direction & Lawyer Photography
field. To help intended audiences connect with the Rush Ihas team, we developed a “Lawyers” section with meaningful bios that speak to practice areas, experience, education, accolades, and local community leadership. To create a series of striking headshots that showcase a skilled and capable yet approachable team, we provided art direction, quality control and photo retouching.
Recruitment
To help the firm attract top talent among lateral hires as well as students and associates, we created a “Students & Careers” section. Conveying the firm’s values, culture, and focus on reputation and engagement, this section features colour photography and messaging to attract prospective hires to Kelowna and the Okanagan Valley.
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