Black background with white text displaying the name 'A&O Shearman' in the center.

A&O Shearman

When industry leading businesses Allen & Overy and Shearman & Sterling decided to merge into the world’s 3rd largest law firm, a huge transformation project was undertaken. Working closely with numerous stakeholder groups, a customer-first approach was used to completely rethink how law firms could be presented online. 150 days later, a new brand, digital presence, and technology platform was launched to great acclaim. Whilst today the site continues to redefine how professional services should be presented online.

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Winner:
The Drum Awards for B2B, 2024

Background

Originally awarded through a creative pitch for Allen & Overy, the project quickly evolved in scale and significance as merger plans progressed. Rather than redesigning a legacy website, we were tasked with building the first digital presence for the new firm from the ground up.

Working in partnership with A&O Shearman’s teams in London and New York, we applied a discover-define-design-deliver framework. This included extensive stakeholder interviews, a full audit of platforms and data structures, and alignment with Landor’s striking new brand identity. A key challenge was creating a unified architecture that merged distinct firm cultures, user expectations, and backend systems.

Insight

Two areas required deep focus: the information architecture and the lawyer biography system. These pages were not only central to lead generation, but also had to accommodate complex data structures, distinct brand language, and evolving roles post-merger. We built a scalable IA from scratch, with flexibility to grow across service lines, regions, and future business needs.

We also introduced an enterprise-grade CMS (Sitecore XM Cloud), enabling a composable architecture with omnichannel personalisation capabilities. Despite technical complexity and timeline pressure, we designed, built, and launched the site in just 150 days — ready for the firm’s public debut.

Visually, the site embraced a bold new identity, using colour, motion, and editorial storytelling to differentiate the firm. We looked beyond traditional legal benchmarks, drawing inspiration from professional services leaders like PwC and Bain to create a platform that felt modern, premium, and clear in its value.

Result

AOShearman.com launched in step with the merger’s official date, and immediately positioned the new firm as a digital standout. Engagement and performance data validated the strategic choices, and feedback from clients and stakeholders consistently highlighted the platform’s clarity and professionalism.

The platform has since evolved into a scalable ecosystem, with new region-specific sites, functional extensions, and ongoing optimisation work already in play. It continues to be a key enabler of business development, talent attraction, and brand perception.

Good stuff

This wasn’t just a website launch — it was a brand and platform born from transformation, built under pressure, and delivered at a standard rare in the legal industry.

Visitors

58,291

Total visitors in first 7 days, up 51.3% vs previous period

Engagement duration

42%

+9.9% increase in visitor engagement

Engagement

70%

Visitor engagement in first 7 days, up 14% vs previous period

Job applications

+61%

Increase in job applications, in first 7 days

Conversion

11%

Conversion of jobseekers moving through careers to appy

A&O Shearman launch

Date: 2023-2024
Company: Allen & Overy / Shearman & Stirling
Project: Digital transformation and merger website
Role: UX oversight, Experience Strategy, Audience Research


Team:
Oly Tuck (UX)
Peter Bircak (UX)
Russ Hinton (Design)
Charlie Holborn (Design)
Jess Quiddington (Technology)