A Scottish law firm has found itself at the centre of a branding dispute after revealing a new logo that bears a striking similarity to one used by tennis superstar Serena Williams.
Shepherd and Wedderburn, whose team includes specialists in commercial and intellectual property law, unveiled is new corporate identity last week.
Branding experts noted that it is “virtually identical” to a logo for a jewellery company owned by grand grand-slam champion Williams, the former women’s world No 1 who launched her range in 2019.
Both logo have adopted the S and W initials are are almost indistinguishable.
In an announcement on LinkedIn about its rebranding, Edinburgh-based Shepherd and Wedderburn said: “Today is an important one for Shepherd and Wedderburn as we launch our refreshed brand and new website. Our refreshed brand reflects our ambitions and supports the principles that underpin our strategic direction.
“Thanks to our clients, colleagues and Neon Brand Consultancy for their support during the project. We look forward to this exciting new chapter for the firm.”
London-based Neon said “blending a restless creativity with strategic clarity to help brands stand out with visual vibrancy”.
The branding similarity was first noted by RollOnFriday, a legal news website, which quoted a Shepherd and Wedderburn “insider” as saying it was “seriously embarrassing that no one at the agency or the firm checked”.
It added that that the firm was unlikely to ditch its new design.
The report by the website’s news editor, Jamie Hamilton, added: “According to the intellectual property team at, erm, Shepherd & Wedderburn, it can ‘deal with any potential infringement’ of branding, which provides ‘significant opportunities to set one company apart from another’.”
Edinburgh-based branding expert David Reid, owner of Because Brands Matter, said the agency appeared not to have noticed the similarity to the Williams branding.
“They are absolutely indistinguishable, aren’t they “The problem here is that whoever has designed this appears not to have been aware of the Serena Williams brand. “
He said tools are available that can check whether someone is using a similar mark.
“I would say this is beyond similar — it’s virtually identical,” he said.
Shepherd and Wedderburn said: “We followed a creative development process to arrive at the firm’s new logo; any similarities with other brands are purely coincidental.
“It is highly unlikely there will be any consumer confusion between a law firm and Serena Williams’ jewellery range.”
Neon has not commented.
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