ChatGPT answers, unedited

For a downtown Chicago law firm, I would avoid a general web design agency and shortlist firms that understand legal marketing, attorney advertising rules, intake conversion, SEO, and the expectations of sophisticated clients. A law firm website is not just a branding piece—it is often a business-development tool.

Here are several firms worth evaluating:

Strong legal-industry specialists

Builden Partners
Good fit if you are a mid-size or larger firm that needs more than a redesign. They focus heavily on law firm marketing strategy, business development, PR, and website redesigns rather than just visual design. www.buildenpartners.com

AttorneySync
A Chicago legal marketing agency focused specifically on law firms, with services including website design, SEO, paid search, analytics, and ongoing digital marketing. www.buildenpartners.com

Market JD, Inc.
Chicago-area agency specializing in attorney marketing, including website development, SEO, paid media, and analytics. Their legal-only positioning may appeal if you want a team familiar with attorney buyer journeys. www.expertise.com

dNOVO Group | Law Firm Marketing Agency
A legal-focused digital marketing agency with a Chicago office that combines website redesign, SEO, advertising, and reputation/brand work. www.buildenpartners.com

More design-forward options

Pattern 6
Worth considering if your priority is a premium custom design experience plus legal marketing capabilities. They position themselves around custom, SEO-friendly legal websites rather than cookie-cutter templates.

Deviant Marketing
A Chicago agency offering website design, SEO, branding, and support services, with experience in legal marketing.

What I would ask during the selection process

For a downtown Chicago firm, I would require finalists to show:

• 3–5 recent law firm redesigns (not just generic professional-services sites)
• Experience with your practice areas (corporate, litigation, employment, real estate, etc.)
• Understanding of Illinois attorney advertising requirements
• A plan for migrating SEO authority from the existing site
• Accessibility compliance (WCAG considerations)
• Secure intake forms and privacy practices
• Integration with CRM/intake systems
• Analytics tied to consultations, not just page views

I would also ask: “Who writes the copy?” A beautiful site with generic legal language usually underperforms. The best vendors can help translate partner expertise into clear client-facing messaging.

If this is an Am Law, midsize, or boutique firm, my initial shortlist would likely start with Builden Partners, AttorneySync, Market JD, and dNOVO, then include a more design-led shop if brand positioning is the main goal. www.buildenpartners.com

I can also help you build a vendor scorecard/RFP specifically for a Chicago law firm website redesign.

Yes. For a Chicago law firm, I’d favor a specialist legal-marketing firm over a generic web-design agency. The important distinction is that you want someone who understands not just aesthetics, but attorney positioning, practice-area architecture, intake/conversion, SEO, accessibility, privacy, and Illinois legal-advertising considerations.

My shortlist

1. Builden Partners — my first call for a sophisticated firm

They are actually based at 150 S. Wacker and focus specifically on law firms, particularly AmLaw and midsize firms. Their website-redesign offering covers the process from initial audit through launch, with legal-marketing expertise rather than simply handing you over to a web developer. www.buildenpartners.com

Builden Partners website

2. AttorneySync — strong if growth/SEO is part of the redesign

They're Chicago-based and exclusively focused on law firms, combining website development with SEO, paid search, analytics and broader digital marketing. That's attractive if you want the redesign to improve business development rather than simply modernize the look.

3. Market JD, Inc. — another legal-specialist option

They're at 20 N. Wacker and focus specifically on attorney/law-firm marketing. Their offering combines website design with SEO, paid media and analytics, with an emphasis on conversion and intake.

4. dNOVO Group | Law Firm Marketing Agency — worth considering for a more performance-marketing-oriented approach

Their Chicago operation focuses heavily on law firms and combines website design, SEO, paid advertising and reputation/brand work.

5. Pattern 6 — interesting boutique option

They specifically position their websites around legal practices, custom design, speed, SEO, conversion tracking and practice-area architecture rather than generic templates.

One important caveat

If you're an AmLaw/large corporate firm, I'd put Builden substantially higher on the list than agencies primarily oriented toward personal-injury or other consumer practices. Their experience is explicitly with AmLaw and midsize firms, and their redesign process is designed to minimize the amount of attorney/leadership time consumed by the project. www.buildenpartners.com

If you're a consumer-facing firm (PI, family, criminal, immigration, etc.), I'd put more weight on conversion optimization, local SEO, intake integration and measurable signed-client attribution. In that case, AttorneySync or Market JD become particularly interesting.

What I'd require in the RFP

Don't let agencies compete primarily on mockups. I'd ask each finalist to demonstrate:

• 3–5 comparable law-firm redesigns, preferably firms of your size and practice mix
• Their approach to practice-area and attorney information architecture
• SEO migration strategy so existing rankings/backlinks aren't destroyed
• Accessibility/WCAG approach
• Privacy/cookie/analytics implementation
• How they handle Illinois attorney advertising and professional-responsibility considerations
• CMS and firm ownership of the site, content, code and accounts
• Page-speed/Core Web Vitals targets
• Integration with your CRM/intake/marketing-automation system
• Analytics that can ultimately connect website → inquiry → qualified opportunity → new client
• Who actually does the work versus who sells the project
• Post-launch support and SEO/content responsibilities

One particularly useful benchmark: Marketing for Justice describes its law-firm builds as mobile-first, conversion-oriented and SEO-founded, while Chicago-based CaseOrbit explicitly discusses Illinois/ISBA advertising considerations and ADA accessibility. Those are good examples of the level of legal-specific thinking I'd expect from your finalists. marketingforjustice.com

If you tell me roughly what kind of firm you are (e.g., AmLaw, midsize business-law, litigation boutique, plaintiff-side, etc.), your approximate attorney count, and whether the priority is brand/reputation or generating more business, I can narrow this to the 3 agencies I'd actually invite to pitch.

Yes. For a downtown Chicago law firm, I’d strongly favor a legal-industry specialist over a general Chicago web agency. The difference is that your site has to balance sophisticated brand positioning with attorney-advertising rules, confidentiality, practice-area claims, testimonials, SEO, accessibility, and conversion.

A few Chicago firms I’d put on the shortlist:

1. AttorneySync — my first call if growth/SEO matters. They focus specifically on law firms and are based at 211 W. Wacker. Their offering spans website design, SEO, paid search, analytics and broader legal marketing. This makes them particularly interesting if the redesign is supposed to generate measurable business rather than simply modernize the firm's appearance.

2. Market JD, Inc. — another strong legal-specialist option, with a downtown office at 20 N. Wacker. They focus specifically on attorneys/law firms and combine website strategy with SEO, paid search and conversion optimization. I'd investigate them particularly if you're a midsize firm that wants the website tied closely to business-development goals.

3. dNOVO Group | Law Firm Marketing Agency — worth considering if you want a more comprehensive marketing partner rather than just a website shop. Their Chicago office is in River North, and their legal focus includes web design, SEO, advertising and reputation/brand work.

4. Pattern 6 — a Chicago agency with a substantial legal-marketing orientation. I'd include them in an RFP if you're looking for a more custom, performance-oriented website rather than an off-the-shelf attorney template.

5. OVC Lawyer Marketing — based in the western suburbs rather than downtown, but specifically focused on law-firm websites, content and legal SEO. Worth adding if location isn't important.

One important caveat

Don't just ask an agency, "Do you work with law firms?" Ask how they handle attorney advertising compliance.

The ABA specifically warns that websites can implicate rules around misleading claims, specialization, case results, testimonials, confidentiality, solicitation and third-party marketing vendors. www.americanbar.org Illinois has its own rules as well; for example, the Illinois State Bar Association has addressed website links under Illinois Rules 7.1 and 8.4(c). www.isba.org

I'd make these non-negotiable questions in your RFP:

• Have you redesigned websites for Am Law 100/200 or comparable sophisticated firms?
• Can you show 3–5 actual law-firm redesigns comparable to ours?
• Who writes the practice-area and attorney bios?
• How do you handle Illinois attorney advertising rules?
• How do you vet claims such as "leading," "best," "expert," "specialist," etc.?
• How do you handle case results, representative matters and client testimonials?
• Who owns the site, source code, content, photography and analytics accounts after launch?
• What is your approach to SEO migration and preserving existing rankings?
• How will you handle accessibility, Core Web Vitals and mobile performance?
• Can the firm's marketing/legal teams make content changes without going back to the agency?
• What happens after launch—hosting, security, updates and ongoing SEO?

The ABA's current guidance is particularly relevant here: hiring a marketing agency doesn't transfer the firm's ethical responsibility. The firm still needs processes for reviewing website copy and vendor-generated marketing. www.americanbar.org

My recommendation

If you're a downtown Chicago professional-services firm with a sophisticated brand rather than a small consumer PI practice, I'd start by interviewing AttorneySync, Market JD, and Pattern 6, and I'd also get one proposal from a more branding/design-led firm so you have a useful comparison.

I would not automatically choose the prettiest portfolio. For a law firm, the best partner should be able to demonstrate that they understand both high-end professional-services positioning and legal marketing compliance.

If you tell me roughly your firm's size (e.g. 10 attorneys vs. 100+), practice areas, and whether the goal is primarily brand/reputation or new-client generation, I can narrow this to 3 agencies and compare them on legal experience, portfolio quality, likely price tier, SEO, compliance, and fit for your firm.

Yes. For a Chicago law firm, I’d avoid a generic web-design agency and shortlist firms that can demonstrate actual legal-sector work, understand attorney advertising/compliance, and know how to structure practice-area and attorney content for both credibility and search.

My Chicago shortlist

1. AttorneySync — strongest overall fit
Located at 211 W. Wacker, AttorneySync is specifically focused on law-firm marketing rather than being a generalist agency. Its services include website design/development, SEO, analytics and ongoing website support. That makes it particularly attractive if the redesign needs to be tied to your broader marketing strategy rather than treated as a standalone design project.

2. Builden Partners — best for a sophisticated/full-service firm
Builden works exclusively with law firms, including large Am Law firms and boutiques. Importantly for a marketing director, they offer strategic management of law-firm website redesigns—not simply web development. They're based at 150 S. Wacker. This would be one of my first calls if you're representing an established downtown firm with multiple stakeholders and a substantial brand/reputation to protect.

3. Market JD, Inc. — strong marketing + website option
Market JD specializes in attorney/law-firm marketing and offers website redesigns alongside SEO, paid media and analytics. Their positioning around intake-oriented user journeys could be useful if the redesign has a measurable business-development objective rather than simply modernizing the firm's look.

4. dNOVO Group | Law Firm Marketing Agency — good if lead generation is a major objective
Their Chicago office is in River North and they focus heavily on law firms, combining website redesign with SEO, paid advertising and reputation/brand work. I'd consider them particularly if you're looking for an agency to own the digital acquisition side after launch.

5. Dupont Creative — worth putting on the RFP list
Dupont has a dedicated Chicago law-firm web-design practice and publicly showcases work for firms including Shulman Rogers, Trade Pacific Law, Xsensus and Walsh Colucci. They emphasize custom WordPress development, SEO, security/maintenance and confidentiality considerations. www.dupontcreative.com

There's also a useful example from Hype Legal: they redesigned Chicago business/injury firm Hart McLaughlin & Eldridge around a more polished, user-focused presentation of the firm's expertise. www.hypelegal.com

What I'd require in your RFP

For a serious law-firm redesign, I'd make these non-negotiable:

• Actual law-firm portfolio — preferably firms comparable to yours in size and practice mix.
• Attorney/practice-area information architecture — not a generic corporate-site template.
• Legal advertising compliance — specifically Illinois attorney advertising rules and appropriate disclaimers/testimonials/case-result treatment.
• SEO migration strategy — preservation/redirects of existing URLs, rankings, backlinks and metadata.
• Accessibility — WCAG-conscious implementation.
• Security/privacy — especially if you're collecting prospective-client information.
• CMS ownership — your firm should own the site, content and accounts rather than being trapped in an agency's proprietary platform.
• Analytics/intake attribution — phone calls, forms and consultation requests should be measurable.
• Copywriting — don't let the agency simply paste your existing practice-area descriptions into a prettier template.
• Attorney bios — these are often among the most important conversion pages for a professional-services firm.
• Launch governance — a process for partner review without turning the project into an endless committee exercise.

I'd also separate "beautiful website" from "effective law-firm website." The latter needs to communicate institutional credibility while making it extremely easy for a prospective client, referral source, journalist, or prospective lateral to understand who you are and where you have authority.

If I were running the selection

I'd invite AttorneySync, Builden Partners, Market JD and Dupont Creative to pitch, rather than sending an RFP to 15 agencies. That gives you a useful mix of legal-specialist marketing, large-firm strategic experience, performance marketing, and design/development expertise.

For a large downtown Chicago firm, I'd put Builden Partners and AttorneySync at the top of the initial conversation list. Builden is especially interesting if this is a sophisticated institutional rebrand/redesign; AttorneySync if you want the website tightly integrated with measurable digital marketing.

If you tell me the firm's approximate size, practice areas, current website, and whether this is primarily a brand refresh or a lead-generation/SEO project, I can narrow this to 3 agencies and compare them on legal experience, likely fit, strengths/weaknesses, and what I'd ask each one in the pitch.

Yes. For a Chicago law firm, I’d strongly favor a legal-specialist agency or a law-firm marketing consultancy managing a specialist web team, rather than a generic web-design shop.

My Chicago shortlist

1. AttorneySync — strongest overall fit

They’re at 211 W. Wacker and focus specifically on law-firm marketing, including website design/development, SEO, analytics and ongoing optimization. That makes them particularly interesting if the redesign is supposed to be a business-development asset, not merely a visual refresh.

AttorneySync

2. Builden Partners — strongest for an established/midsize-to-large firm

This is the one I'd investigate if you're marketing an established Chicago firm with multiple practices, partners and stakeholders. Builden works exclusively with law firms and specifically manages law-firm website redesigns from audit through launch. Their Chicago office is at 150 S. Wacker. www.buildenpartners.com

Builden Partners

3. dNOVO Group | Law Firm Marketing Agency — good if you want redesign + lead generation

They specialize in legal marketing and combine web design with SEO, paid search, reputation/brand work and conversion optimization. I'd consider them if the website needs to produce measurable intake rather than simply elevate the firm's brand.

4. BSPE Legal Marketing - Chicago — legal-specialist alternative

A Chicago legal marketing/web-design provider with a specific law-firm focus. Worth including in an RFP if you want a smaller specialist alongside the larger agencies.

5. Dupont Creative — worth a look for design quality

Their Chicago law-firm practice specifically positions them around established firms, and they emphasize understanding the legal industry's standards and the need to communicate sophisticated legal services professionally. www.dupontcreative.com

Dupont Creative — Chicago Law Firm Web Design

What I'd demand in the RFP

The important thing is that "legal industry experience" shouldn't just mean they've built attractive attorney websites. Your agency should demonstrate that it understands:

• Illinois attorney advertising rules and the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct
• Attorney/client disclaimers and avoiding inadvertent attorney-client relationships
• Ethical treatment of case results, testimonials, awards, rankings and superlatives
• Privacy and intake-form considerations
• ADA/accessibility from the architecture and development stage, not as an afterthought www.americanbar.org
• SEO preservation during a redesign: redirects, metadata, URLs, structured data, rankings and backlinks
• Large-scale attorney/practice-area content architecture
• CMS governance so marketing can make changes without breaking the site
• Analytics tied to qualified inquiries, not just traffic
• AI/search visibility, which is increasingly relevant to how prospective clients discover lawyers. The ABA specifically highlighted this in its February 2026 guidance. businesslawtoday.org

The ABA also emphasizes that law-firm websites need accurate, non-misleading content, appropriate disclaimers, privacy considerations, accessibility and ongoing SEO/content management. www.americanbar.org

If I were you

I'd invite AttorneySync, Builden Partners and one of dNOVO/Dupont to pitch.

I'd give all three the same brief and existing-site analytics, then ask them to present:

1. Their proposed information architecture
2. Three examples of comparable law firms they've redesigned
3. Their approach to Illinois ethical/compliance review
4. SEO migration plan
5. Accessibility methodology
6. CMS recommendation
7. Timeline and internal responsibilities
8. Measurement plan for leads/intake
9. Total project cost + ongoing costs
10. What happens after launch

That will tell you much more than looking at agency portfolios.

If you tell me roughly how big the firm is (e.g. 10 attorneys vs. 100+), practice areas, current CMS, and whether the priority is prestige/brand, recruiting, or new-client acquisition, I can narrow this to 2–3 agencies I'd actually put on your shortlist and compare them side-by-side.

For a downtown Chicago law firm, I’d avoid a general-purpose web design agency. You want a partner that understands legal marketing ethics, attorney positioning, practice-area SEO, intake conversion, accessibility, and the expectations of sophisticated clients. A strong redesign partner should be able to discuss not just fonts and layouts, but how prospective clients evaluate credibility and decide whether to contact your firm.

Here are firms worth evaluating:

Orbit Media Studios

Orbit Media Studios official website
A Chicago-based agency with a strong reputation for strategy-driven websites. They specifically offer law firm website design and emphasize research, custom design, search optimization, and conversion strategy. www.orbitmedia.com
Best fit: Established firms that want a premium brand experience and sophisticated UX rather than a lead-gen-only site.

Postali

Postali official website
A legal-focused marketing firm that builds websites specifically around law firm goals, practice areas, content strategy, and conversion paths. www.postali.comwww.orbitmedia.com
Best fit: Firms that want a legal-industry specialist handling both website strategy and ongoing marketing.

Dupont Creative

Dupont Creative official website
They specifically market Chicago law firm website design, with experience around custom legal websites, SEO, and firm positioning. www.dupontcreative.comwww.orbitmedia.com
Best fit: Mid-size firms wanting a custom WordPress-based site and a more hands-on agency relationship.

Marketing for Justice

Marketing for Justice official website
A legal-industry-focused provider emphasizing conversion optimization, mobile-first design, and SEO foundations for law firms. marketingforjustice.com
Best fit: Firms focused heavily on generating qualified inquiries and measuring marketing ROI.

CaseOrbit

CaseOrbit official website
A Chicago-focused legal marketing company positioning around law firm websites, local SEO, conversion optimization, and intake workflows. caseorbit.co
Best fit: Firms competing aggressively in Chicago search results and looking for measurable lead growth.

What I’d require in your RFP/interview process

Ask each candidate:

1. “Show us 3–5 law firm redesigns you personally built.”

Look for firms with similar complexity (multiple partners, multiple practices, corporate clients), not just solo attorneys.

2. “How do you handle Illinois attorney advertising rules?”

They should understand issues around testimonials, case results, disclaimers, and claims of expertise.

3. “What is your approach to attorney bios?”

For many firms, attorney profile pages are among the highest-value pages.

4. “How will you protect our SEO during migration?”

A redesign can accidentally destroy rankings through URL changes, lost metadata, or poor redirects.

5. “Who owns the site, content, analytics, and code?”

Avoid arrangements where your firm is locked into an agency platform.

6. “How will you measure success after launch?”

Good answers include qualified inquiries, conversion rates, search visibility, engagement, and intake quality—not just traffic.

For a downtown Chicago firm, I would probably shortlist Orbit Media, Postali, and Dupont Creative first, then compare them against a legal-specialist agency like Marketing for Justice or CaseOrbit depending on whether your priority is brand prestige or new-client acquisition. www.orbitmedia.com

If you tell me your firm size (solo / 5–20 attorneys / 20+), practice areas, and whether the goal is reputation/brand, recruiting, SEO leads, or client portal functionality, I can narrow this to the best 3–5 vendors.

Yes. For a Chicago law firm, I’d strongly favor a firm that does legal websites regularly rather than a general Chicago web-design shop. The distinction matters because your site has to balance brand sophistication, attorney bios/practice-area content, SEO and lead generation with Illinois lawyer-advertising requirements. Illinois guidance makes clear that website content is subject to the professional-conduct rules, including the prohibition on false or misleading communications. www.isba.org

My Chicago shortlist

1. AttorneySync — my first call for a marketing-led redesign

They're based at 211 W. Wacker and specialize specifically in legal marketing rather than serving every type of business. Their offering includes law-firm website design/development, SEO, paid search, analytics and ongoing website support. That makes them particularly interesting if the redesign is supposed to generate measurable business, not simply modernize the firm's appearance.

2. Market JD, Inc. — strong fit if you're a sophisticated law-firm marketing team

Market JD is at 20 N. Wacker and focuses specifically on attorneys/law firms. Their positioning combines website design with SEO, conversion-oriented intake flows and broader digital marketing. I'd put them high on the RFP list if you want the website to integrate tightly with your existing marketing program.

3. dNOVO Group | Law Firm Marketing Agency — good for an aggressive growth/lead-generation approach

Their Chicago office is in River North, and they're heavily focused on law-firm acquisition through website design, SEO, PPC, reputation and branding. I'd consider them particularly if the firm's objective is more qualified inquiries, rather than primarily an Am Law-style brand presentation.

4. Attorney Web Design | Chicago — specialist option

This is another legal-specific provider downtown, at 233 S. Wacker. They explicitly position their sites around attorney/law-firm needs and conversion. I'd interview them, but I'd want to see several examples involving firms with a similar practice mix and level of sophistication to yours.

5. Builden Partners — different type of partner, potentially very valuable

They're at 150 S. Wacker and work exclusively with law firms, including larger Am Law firms. They're more of a legal marketing/business-development consultancy than a pure web-development shop, but they specifically provide strategic management of law-firm website redesigns. If your firm has an internal marketing department and you're looking for someone to own the strategy/RFP/project management while a separate developer executes, I'd seriously consider them.

One agency I'd also look at for design quality

Solid Digital is at 100 N. LaSalle and appears to have a stronger general B2B/brand-and-digital-design orientation than the legal specialists above. If your firm is looking for a premium corporate/BigLaw visual experience, rather than a lead-gen-heavy personal-injury-style site, I'd consider getting a proposal from them alongside one or two legal specialists.

There's also independent evidence that legal-specialist agencies are doing sophisticated Chicago work: Hype Legal, for example, has a published case study for Chicago business/injury firm Hart McLaughlin & Eldridge emphasizing user-focused design, professional presentation and clearer legal content. www.hypelegal.com

What I'd put in your RFP

Don't just ask, "Can you redesign our website?" I'd require each agency to demonstrate:

• 3–5 comparable law-firm redesigns, preferably firms with similar size/practice areas
• Experience with Illinois attorney advertising/professional-responsibility requirements
• Migration strategy that protects existing SEO rankings and backlinks
• Practice-area architecture designed around how prospective clients actually search
• Sophisticated attorney bio and credentials presentation
• WCAG/accessibility considerations
• Mobile performance/Core Web Vitals
• CMS that your marketing team can actually maintain
• Analytics, conversion tracking and CRM/intake integration
• Clear treatment of contact forms and prospective-client communications
• Ownership/portability of the site's code, content, analytics and domain
• A documented post-launch SEO/redirect strategy
• Editorial workflow that allows lawyers to approve legally sensitive content

That last part is important: Illinois ethics guidance says the lawyer is responsible for marketing conduct, and specifically notes that law-firm websites are governed by the rules concerning lawyer advertising. www.isba.org

If this were my project, I'd start with AttorneySync, Market JD and Builden Partners, then add a more design-forward agency such as Solid Digital as a benchmark. That would give you three different approaches: legal-specialist execution, legal-specialist performance marketing, and law-firm strategic oversight/design management.

If you tell me roughly how large the firm is (e.g. 10, 50, 200+ attorneys), your practice areas, and whether you're trying to look more BigLaw/corporate or more client-acquisition focused, I can narrow this to the 3 best agencies and compare them on portfolio quality, legal expertise, likely budget range, and fit for your firm.

Yes. For a Chicago law firm, I’d prioritize a legal-specialist agency over a general web-design shop. Legal websites have unusual requirements around attorney advertising, testimonials/case results, accessibility, disclaimers, privacy, intake, SEO, and preserving search equity during a redesign.

Based on current Chicago options, I’d put these on your shortlist:

1. AttorneySync — my first call for a law-firm-focused digital partner. They’re based at 211 W. Wacker and specialize exclusively in legal marketing, including website design/development, SEO, analytics, and ongoing site support. That makes them particularly relevant if the redesign needs to be tied to lead generation rather than simply a visual refresh.

2. Market JD, Inc. — another strong legal-specialist option, with a downtown office at 20 N. Wacker. Their positioning is specifically around law firms and includes mobile-optimized websites, intake-oriented UX, SEO, and broader legal marketing. Their materials also emphasize understanding law-firm operations rather than treating you like a generic professional-services client.

3. Builden Partners — particularly interesting if you're an AmLaw/midsize firm or have a sophisticated in-house marketing department. They're at 150 S. Wacker and work specifically with law firms. Rather than just being a web shop, they offer website-redesign management, marketing strategy, business development, CRM strategy, and marketing-department consulting. www.buildenpartners.com

4. dNOVO Group | Law Firm Marketing Agency — legal-focused and Chicago-based, with website redesign, SEO, paid search, reputation/branding, and conversion optimization. I'd consider them if you want the redesign to roll directly into a broader client-acquisition program.

5. Solid Digital — a more general, sophisticated Chicago digital agency rather than a law-firm specialist. Their downtown office is at 100 N. LaSalle. I'd consider them if brand positioning, sophisticated UX, and a premium corporate aesthetic are more important than having a legal-only agency.

One wildcard I'd interview

Orbit Media's legal website practice is worth putting into the RFP. They're Chicago-based and explicitly offer custom legal website design, research/strategy, SEO and conversion optimization, accessibility, security, backups, and CMS training. Their published redesign timeline is substantially longer—roughly 10–30+ weeks—which is actually useful if you're contemplating a major AmLaw-style redesign rather than a quick marketing-site refresh. www.orbitmedia.com

What I'd require in your RFP

Don't just ask agencies to "redesign the website." I'd make these non-negotiable requirements:

• Illinois attorney-advertising compliance: Have them explain exactly how they review attorney bios, testimonials, verdicts/settlements, awards, superlatives, disclaimers, etc.
• SEO migration: 301 mapping of every important URL, preservation of rankings/backlinks, metadata migration, schema, redirects and Search Console monitoring.
• Accessibility: WCAG-oriented implementation and an actual accessibility-testing process—not merely an "ADA compliant" checkbox.
• Attorney/practice-area architecture: The CMS should make it easy for your marketing team to add attorneys, practices, offices, publications and thought leadership.
• Intake optimization: Calls, consultation forms and other conversion paths should be measurable in analytics/CRM.
• Editorial control: Your marketing team should be able to update content without going back to the developer for every change.
• Performance/security: Core Web Vitals, mobile performance, backups, security monitoring and a documented maintenance process.
• Content strategy: Ask whether they will actually rewrite the site or simply pour existing copy into a new template.
• Analytics ownership: Your firm should own GA4, Search Console, Tag Manager, CRM integrations, domain, hosting credentials and the website code/content.
• Post-launch support: Get a defined SLA and pricing rather than discovering afterward that every small change is a new project.

Orbit specifically calls out accessibility, security monitoring, responsive/mobile-first design, updates and backups in its legal offering, while Marketing for Justice emphasizes conversion optimization, mobile-first performance, Core Web Vitals and legal-specific content. Those are good benchmarks for what you should expect from any finalist. www.orbitmedia.com

If this were my RFP, I'd interview AttorneySync, Market JD, Builden Partners, and Orbit Media first. I'd then choose based on the firm's size/practice mix: a consumer-facing litigation firm needs a very different site strategy from a 100+ attorney corporate/litigation firm.

If you tell me roughly how many attorneys you have, your practice areas, whether you're AmLaw/midsize/boutique, and your approximate redesign budget, I can narrow this to 3 agencies and give you a side-by-side comparison of likely fit, strengths, weaknesses, and questions to ask each one.

Yes. For a Chicago law firm, I’d prioritize an agency that works specifically with law firms, rather than a general web-design shop. Legal websites have additional considerations around attorney advertising, confidentiality, disclaimers, testimonials, practice-area claims, accessibility, and lead-generation/intake. The ABA specifically cautions that firms remain responsible for marketing vendors’ work and recommends a review/approval process for website content. www.americanbar.orgwww.americanbar.org

My Chicago shortlist

1. AttorneySync — best overall fit
   • Downtown at 211 W. Wacker.
   • Focuses exclusively on law-firm marketing.
   • Website design, SEO, PPC, analytics and intake/lead-generation strategy.
   • Particularly worth interviewing if the redesign is intended to generate measurable business, not just modernize the firm's appearance.

2. Market JD, Inc. — strong choice for an established firm
   • 20 N. Wacker.
   • Law-firm-focused marketing agency with website design, SEO, paid media and analytics.
   • Their approach ties the website to conversion and client-intake journeys rather than treating it as an isolated design project.

3. dNOVO Group | Law Firm Marketing Agency — good integrated marketing option
   • Chicago office and substantial legal-marketing focus.
   • Combines website redesign with SEO, paid advertising, reputation and branding.
   • I'd consider them if you're looking for an agency that can stay on after launch.

4. Pattern 6 — interesting boutique option
   • Chicago-based and explicitly focused on legal marketing.
   • Emphasizes custom rather than template sites, SEO architecture, practice-area pages and conversion tracking.
   • Worth including if you want something more differentiated from the typical law-firm website aesthetic.

5. Deviant Marketing — best one to investigate for brand differentiation
   • Chicago-based and focused on legal marketing.
   • Their positioning emphasizes branding and creating a distinctive firm identity rather than producing another generic "lawyer website."
   • Potentially attractive for a sophisticated downtown firm competing with other large Chicago firms.

One non-specialist I'd also put on the RFP list

Orbit Media's law-firm website practice is headquartered in Chicago and has a dedicated legal website-design offering. They're not as narrowly law-firm-only as some of the agencies above, but they have a more substantial web strategy/design orientation and could be particularly interesting for a sophisticated redesign. They say full redesigns typically run 10–30+ weeks, which gives you a sense of the scope of a serious strategic redesign. www.orbitmedia.com

What I'd require in your RFP

Don't simply ask, "Can you redesign our website?" I'd ask each firm to demonstrate:

• 3–5 comparable law-firm redesigns, preferably firms similar in size and practice mix.
• How they handle Illinois attorney advertising requirements and who performs final compliance review.
• Their approach to practice-area information architecture and attorney bios.
• Technical SEO during a redesign, including URL mapping and redirects so you don't lose existing rankings.
• WCAG/ADA accessibility and mobile performance.
• Conversion strategy: consultation requests, phone calls, attorney/contact routing and analytics.
• CMS ownership and whether your firm owns the site, content, design files and domain.
• How they handle testimonials, verdicts/results, awards, "best/expert" claims and AI-generated content.
• Who actually writes the copy and whether attorneys have a structured review process.
• Post-launch SEO, analytics and maintenance.
• A clear project timeline, deliverables and fixed/estimated budget.

That compliance piece is important: the ABA notes that websites are subject to lawyer-advertising rules and specifically flags misleading claims, confidentiality, testimonials/results and third-party marketing vendors as areas requiring attention. www.americanbar.orgwww.americanbar.org

If I were running the selection process, I'd start with AttorneySync, Market JD, Orbit Media, and Deviant Marketing and have all four respond to the same RFP. That gives you a useful mix of legal-specialist marketing expertise, enterprise-quality web strategy, and brand differentiation.

If you tell me the firm's approximate attorney count, practice areas, current website, and whether the goal is primarily prestige/brand, recruiting, client acquisition, or all three, I can narrow this to the 3 agencies I'd actually invite to pitch and compare their relevant work.

Yes. For a Chicago law firm, I would prioritize an agency that works with law firms routinely—not a general web-design shop that happens to have a few attorney clients. Legal websites have additional considerations around attorney advertising, disclaimers, testimonials, confidentiality, accessibility, SEO, and jurisdiction-specific rules. Illinois specifically treats a law firm's website as subject to the rules governing communications about legal services. www.isba.org

My Chicago shortlist

1. AttorneySync — strongest overall fit
211 W. Wacker Dr., downtown Chicago. This is probably where I'd start. They're specifically focused on law-firm marketing, with website design/development, SEO, PPC, analytics, and ongoing optimization rather than simply building a pretty site. Their legal-industry specialization is a major advantage.

2. Market JD, Inc. — particularly interesting for a sophisticated firm
They focus specifically on attorneys/law firms and combine website redesign with SEO and lead-generation strategy. Their positioning around intake-oriented website architecture is worth investigating if the redesign needs to generate measurable business rather than just modernize the firm's image.

3. Builden Partners — best if you're a larger/mid-size firm
They're at 150 S. Wacker and work exclusively with law firms, including larger Am Law firms. Importantly, they approach website redesign from the marketing/business-development side, including project management and strategy, rather than being purely a web-development vendor. I'd seriously consider them if you're redesigning a sophisticated firm brand with multiple practice groups.

4. dNOVO Group | Law Firm Marketing Agency — good integrated digital option
Chicago office, with law-firm-focused website design, SEO, paid advertising, reputation/brand work and conversion optimization. Worth putting into an RFP if you want the website and subsequent digital acquisition strategy handled by one team.

5. BSPE Legal Marketing - Chicago — specialized legal-marketing alternative
Located on Michigan Avenue and focused specifically on attorney/law-firm marketing. I'd include them in the comparison, particularly if local SEO and lead generation are significant objectives.

What I'd require in your RFP

Don't just ask agencies, "Can you redesign our website?" I'd ask for evidence that they can handle:

• Illinois attorney advertising compliance and appropriate disclaimers
• Attorney/practice-area architecture for a potentially large site
• SEO migration so you don't lose rankings and inbound traffic during the redesign
• WCAG/ADA accessibility
• Mobile performance and Core Web Vitals
• Sophisticated attorney bios and credentials
• Practice-area content that is persuasive without making problematic claims
• Secure contact/intake forms and appropriate handling of prospective-client information
• Analytics tied to qualified inquiries, not merely pageviews
• CMS your marketing team can actually manage
• Integration with your CRM/intake system
• Redirect mapping for every existing URL
• Content strategy, not just visual design
• Ownership of the domain, CMS, analytics accounts, source code and creative assets

The ABA specifically recommends involving SEO professionals in a redesign so that design/content changes don't inadvertently destroy existing search visibility, and emphasizes accessibility as well. www.americanbar.org Clio's current guidance likewise emphasizes SEO, accessibility, clear calls-to-action, mobile responsiveness and jurisdiction-specific ethical considerations. www.clio.com

If I were running the project

I'd probably RFP AttorneySync, Market JD, and Builden Partners first, with dNOVO as a fourth bid.

The important distinction is that Builden is more of a law-firm marketing/business-development strategic partner, whereas AttorneySync/Market JD are more naturally suited to a website + digital acquisition/SEO engagement. For a major downtown firm whose website needs to reinforce institutional credibility and sophisticated practice-group positioning, that distinction matters.

If you tell me roughly how many attorneys you have, your practice areas, whether you're Am Law/BigLaw or a boutique/midsize firm, and your approximate redesign budget, I can narrow this to 3 agencies and compare them on legal-industry experience, likely fit, strengths/weaknesses, and what I would ask each one in the pitch.

Yes. For a Chicago law firm, I’d favor a firm that has genuine legal-sector experience rather than a general Chicago web-design shop. You want someone who understands attorney advertising rules, practice-area positioning, attorney bios, legal SEO, accessibility, confidentiality/privacy considerations, and—especially for a redesign—how to preserve existing search equity while improving conversion.

My shortlist

1. Solid Digital — best for a sophisticated, large-firm-style redesign
   • Downtown at 100 N. LaSalle.
   • Strong web strategy, UX, design, development and ongoing support.
   • Better fit if you're looking for a premium corporate/legal-services presentation rather than a typical lead-gen attorney site.
   • I'd specifically ask them to show comparable professional-services/legal work.

2. AttorneySync — best if legal marketing and lead generation are central
   • Based at 211 W. Wacker.
   • Focuses specifically on law firms rather than general businesses, with website, SEO, paid search, analytics and marketing services.
   • This is the type of specialist I'd seriously consider if the redesign needs to produce measurable business-development results.

3. Builden Partners — best for an established/midsize or Am Law firm
   • At 150 S. Wacker.
   • They work exclusively with law firms and specifically offer website-redesign management, marketing strategy and business-development consulting. www.buildenpartners.com
   • I'd consider them particularly if you're a marketing director who wants a strategic partner to manage the redesign, rather than simply hiring a web-development vendor.

4. Market JD, Inc. — best specialized legal-marketing option
   • Chicago office at 20 N. Wacker.
   • Their positioning is specifically around law-firm marketing, including mobile-optimized websites, SEO and intake-oriented conversion paths.
   • Worth including in an RFP if the primary goal is generating qualified inquiries.

5. dNOVO Group | Law Firm Marketing Agency — best for a marketing-heavy redesign
   • Chicago office in River North.
   • Specifically targets law firms and combines website redesign with SEO, paid advertising, reputation and conversion optimization.

One more I'd put on the RFP list

Orbit Media's legal website design practice is particularly interesting if you're after a high-end strategy/design/development engagement. They're Chicago-based and explicitly offer custom legal website design, research/strategy, SEO and conversion optimization. Their stated redesign timelines can run 10–30+ weeks, which is more consistent with a substantial established-firm redesign than a quick template replacement. www.orbitmedia.com

What I'd require in the RFP

Don't just ask, "Can you redesign our website?" I'd make vendors demonstrate these five things:

• Legal-industry portfolio: At least 3 comparable law firms, preferably firms with similar size/practice mix.
• Illinois compliance: Have them explain how they handle attorney advertising/ethics considerations and who on their team is responsible for compliance review.
• SEO migration: 301 redirects, URL mapping, metadata, schema, preservation of rankings/backlinks, technical SEO and post-launch monitoring.
• Conversion strategy: Clear paths for prospective clients, referral sources and existing clients—not simply "Contact Us" buttons everywhere.
• CMS ownership and portability: Your firm should retain ownership of the domain, content, analytics, design assets and CMS access. Avoid being locked into an agency's proprietary platform.

I'd also make accessibility, page speed/Core Web Vitals, privacy/cookie practices, security, analytics, and ongoing content governance explicit requirements.

One timely consideration: legal marketing is increasingly moving beyond "get more traffic." A recent legal-industry analysis points out that firms can lose significant value when their intake process fails to convert otherwise good leads. www.reuters.com So I'd evaluate agencies on qualified inquiries → consultations → matters, not just traffic and Google rankings.

If this is an established downtown Chicago firm, my first three conversations would be Builden Partners, Orbit Media, and AttorneySync. They represent three useful approaches—legal-sector strategic expertise, premium web strategy/design, and legal-specific performance marketing.

If you tell me roughly your firm size, practice areas, current website, and whether the goal is primarily brand repositioning or new-client acquisition, I can narrow this to 3 vendors and give you a side-by-side evaluation with likely project scope, strengths/weaknesses, and questions to ask each in the pitch.

Yes. For a downtown Chicago law firm, I’d shortlist firms with demonstrated legal-industry experience rather than a generic Chicago web-design agency. The right partner should understand attorney advertising rules, professional-services positioning, accessibility, legal SEO, attorney bios/practice-area architecture, and the difference between a site that looks impressive and one that actually supports business development.

My Chicago shortlist

1. AttorneySync — strongest legal-specialist option
   • Chicago-based, at 211 W. Wacker.
   • Focuses specifically on law firms and offers website design/development, SEO, analytics and ongoing marketing.
   • Particularly worth considering if the redesign needs to connect to lead generation and measurable marketing performance. www.ovclawyermarketing.comwww.expertise.com

2. Builden Partners — strongest fit for a midsize/large firm
   • Chicago-based at 150 S. Wacker.
   • Works exclusively with law firms, ranging from boutiques to Am Law 100 firms.
   • Their offering includes website redesign/rebranding plus broader legal marketing and business-development strategy. That makes them especially interesting if this isn't merely a visual refresh but a repositioning of the firm's brand. www.buildenpartners.comwww.buildenpartners.com

3. dNOVO Group | Law Firm Marketing Agency — good integrated digital option
   • Chicago office and a legal-focused marketing practice.
   • Combines website design, SEO, paid search, reputation/brand work and lead generation.
   • I'd put them on the RFP list if you want the website and ongoing digital acquisition handled by one partner. www.expertise.com

4. OVC Lawyer Marketing — established legal-web specialist
   • Chicago-area firm with substantial law-firm website experience.
   • Their materials say they've launched 500+ legal websites, with design, development, content and SEO capabilities. www.ovclawyermarketing.comwww.expertise.com

5. Above the Bar Marketing, LLC — worth a proposal
   • Positions itself specifically around law-firm marketing rather than generic web design.
   • Website redesign, SEO and conversion-oriented digital marketing are core services.

One non-legal specialist I'd also interview

Orbit Media is Chicago-based and has a dedicated legal website practice. Its approach is more traditional strategic web design: research, stakeholder interviews, custom design, content strategy, SEO and conversion optimization. It says redesigns can take 10–30+ weeks, which is worth knowing if your firm has a substantial stakeholder/attorney approval process. www.ovclawyermarketing.comwww.expertise.comwww.orbitmedia.com

For a sophisticated downtown firm, I'd probably start conversations with Builden, AttorneySync, and Orbit. They represent three different approaches: legal-industry strategic consulting, legal-specialist digital marketing, and high-end strategic web design.

What I'd put in your RFP

Don't just ask, "Can you redesign our website?" Ask each firm to demonstrate:

• 3–5 law-firm redesigns comparable to yours, preferably sophisticated business-law firms rather than primarily personal-injury sites.
• How they'll handle Illinois attorney advertising/professional-conduct considerations and the firm's internal legal review.
• Their approach to attorney bios, practice-area pages, industries/sectors, offices and thought leadership.
• SEO migration: redirects, metadata, structured data, rankings, backlinks and preservation of existing traffic.
• WCAG/ADA accessibility and mobile performance.
• CMS recommendation and exactly what your marketing team will be able to edit without developers.
• Integration with your CRM, analytics, call tracking and marketing-automation systems.
• Who owns the code, content, design files, domain, analytics accounts and hosting if you eventually change agencies.
• How they'll measure success beyond "the new site looks great": qualified traffic, engagement, attorney visibility, inquiries and business-development outcomes.

One important distinction: if you're an Am Law/midsize corporate firm, I'd weight experience with professional-services positioning and attorney stakeholder management much more heavily than agencies whose portfolio is dominated by consumer law. Builden explicitly works with firms from boutique through Am Law 100, which is why I'd give them a particularly serious look. www.buildenpartners.comwww.buildenpartners.com

If you tell me roughly your firm's size, practice areas, current website, and budget range (e.g. $50–100K vs. $100–250K+), I can narrow this to 3–4 firms and compare them on legal-industry experience, portfolio quality, likely price tier, Chicago presence, and fit for your firm.

Yes. For a Chicago law firm, I’d avoid a generic Chicago web-design shop and shortlist firms that demonstrably understand legal marketing, attorney advertising rules, practice-area SEO, intake/conversion, and the expectations of sophisticated legal buyers.

My shortlist

1. Orbit Media — strongest overall Chicago option
Orbit Media's legal website design practice
This would be my first call if you’re a midsize or larger firm and want a genuinely strategic redesign rather than a cosmetic refresh. Orbit is Chicago-based and specifically offers legal website design, with an emphasis on strategy, SEO, conversion, UX, and content. They say full redesigns typically take 10–30+ weeks, so they’re appropriate for a substantial project with multiple stakeholders. www.orbitmedia.com

2. Builden Partners — particularly interesting if you want marketing strategy + website
Builden Partners
They are Chicago-based and specifically focus on AmLaw and midsize law firms, offering website redesign alongside broader legal marketing, business development, PR, CRM, and marketing strategy. For an in-house marketing director, that broader perspective could be valuable—you wouldn't necessarily have to treat the website as an isolated project. www.buildenpartners.com

3. Marketing for Justice — strong legal-specialist option
Marketing for Justice
Their entire positioning is around law firm websites, with custom design, mobile-first development, SEO, conversion optimization, and legal-industry considerations. They also showcase a Chicago personal-injury example. I'd put them on the RFP list if lead generation and measurable intake performance matter as much as brand. marketingforjustice.com

4. CaseOrbit — worth considering if Chicago SEO is a major objective
CaseOrbit
They specialize in Chicago-area law firms and combine website design with local SEO, conversion optimization, intake, and legal marketing compliance. Their positioning is particularly oriented toward firms competing for Google visibility in Chicago/Cook County. caseorbit.co

5. icXlegal — interesting for a more legal-specific website platform
icXlegal
Their platform is built specifically around law firm websites, including larger firms and AmLaw firms. It's worth investigating if you value a legal-industry-specific system and faster deployment over having a completely bespoke digital experience. www.icxlegal.com

If I were running your RFP

I'd probably invite Orbit Media, Builden Partners, and Marketing for Justice to pitch.

The reason is that they represent three somewhat different approaches:

One important requirement

Don't let an agency pitch this as simply a "website redesign." For a law firm, I'd make the RFP explicitly cover:

• Attorney advertising/ethical considerations, including Illinois requirements
• Accessibility
• SEO migration and preservation of existing rankings
• Practice-area architecture and content strategy
• Attorney bios and thought leadership
• Client/referral-source journeys
• Conversion and intake strategy
• Analytics tying inquiries back to source/page
• CMS ownership and ease of internal editing
• Security/privacy around contact and intake information
• Performance/Core Web Vitals
• Google/local search strategy where appropriate
• Integration with your CRM/intake systems
• 301 redirects and technical SEO at launch
• A post-launch optimization period

That legal-specific expertise really matters: current guidance on law-firm web design specifically flags ethical marketing considerations and the need to follow the rules of the applicable jurisdiction rather than treating a law firm like an ordinary professional-services client. www.icxlegal.comwww.clio.com

One other reason I'd be careful with the vendor-selection process: Illinois has just enacted new legislation affecting certain law firms and outside entities, so if your redesign involves intake technology, AI, client data, or other operational integrations, I'd have counsel review those aspects rather than relying solely on an agency's "compliance" claim. www.reuters.com

If you tell me your firm's approximate size, practice areas, and whether the priority is prestige/brand, recruiting, business development, or consumer lead generation, I can narrow this to the 3 agencies I'd actually interview and compare their likely fit, pricing tier, strengths, and weaknesses.

Yes. For a downtown Chicago law firm, I’d strongly favor a firm that understands legal marketing and attorney-review dynamics rather than a generic Chicago web-design shop.

My shortlist

1. Builden Partners — best fit if you're an AmLaw/midsize or sophisticated boutique firm

This would be my first call based on what you've described. Builden works exclusively with law firms, including boutiques through Am Law 100 firms, and specifically manages website redesigns from audit through launch. They’re at 150 S. Wacker, so they're particularly convenient for a downtown firm. www.buildenpartners.comwww.buildenpartners.comwww.attorneysync.comwww.orbitmedia.com

What stands out is that they understand the internal side of legal marketing: getting partner/leadership approval, managing attorney bios and practice-group content, coordinating vendors, and keeping lawyers from becoming the bottleneck. They also have a case study involving a regional trial firm where they handled practice-group restructuring, content, photography, and vendor management. www.buildenpartners.com

Builden Partners — website redesign services

2. AttorneySync — best if growth/SEO and lead generation are major objectives

AttorneySync is also Chicago-based and focuses exclusively on law firms. Its services include website design/development, SEO, PPC, content, CRM and lead nurturing. www.attorneysync.com

I'd put them higher on the list if your redesign is supposed to materially improve search visibility, inquiries, and measurable marketing performance, rather than primarily reposition the firm's brand.

AttorneySync

3. Orbit Media Studios — best if design/UX and technical execution are priorities

Orbit is a well-established Chicago web agency with a dedicated legal-industry practice. They do custom design, research, content strategy, SEO, accessibility and development rather than putting you into a legal website template. www.orbitmedia.com

Their legal portfolio is particularly relevant: they redesigned KSN Law, dealing with migration of 500+ blog posts, 54 attorney bios and decades of content while preserving SEO through redirects. www.orbitmedia.com That's the sort of experience I'd want if your existing site has a substantial content library.

Orbit Media — legal website design

One important distinction

I'd choose differently depending on your firm:

I would not make "ADA compliant" or "SEO optimized" the deciding factor by itself. Those should be table stakes. For a law firm redesign, I'd specifically evaluate legal advertising/ethics review processes, attorney bio architecture, practice-group information architecture, content migration/redirects, accessibility, CMS governance, analytics/CRM integration, search strategy, and how they handle partner approvals.

One other Chicago option worth knowing about is dNOVO Group | Law Firm Marketing Agency, which combines law-firm website design with SEO, paid search and broader client-acquisition work. www.expertise.com

If I were you, I'd issue an RFP to Builden, Orbit, and AttorneySync rather than choosing from a huge agency list. That gives you three meaningfully different approaches: legal-specialist strategy, premium web/UX execution, and performance marketing.

If you tell me roughly how large the firm is (e.g. 20 attorneys vs. 200+) and your practice areas, I can narrow this to the best 2–3 agencies and compare their relevant legal work, likely budget range, and strengths/weaknesses.