Brisbane – Global law firm K&L Gates has continued its expansion in Australia, welcoming Khilen Devani and Carl Hinze as partners and their team to the firm’s Corporate practice. Devani and Hinze join the firm’s Brisbane office from Holding Redlich where Devani was a partner and Hinze headed the firm’s China practice.
K&L Gates’ Regional Managing Partner, Australia, Jason Opperman stated: “We are excited to welcome Carl and Khilen to our Brisbane office, which continues the expansion of our M&A and Capital Markets offerings, furthering our 2024 growth strategy in Australia. Both Carl and Khilen (and their incoming team) bring significant sector experience, and the international nature of their practice aligns perfectly with our global platform and the growing needs of our clients.”
Devani focuses on public and private M&A, complex joint venture arrangements, capital raising, and corporate governance matters. He regularly advises clients on Corporations Act and ASX Listing requirements and plays a pivotal role in complex transaction strategy and structuring, the management of due diligence, and the negotiation of transaction documents. He is a trusted advisor to his clients, providing practical and outcome-focused advice, and a trusted mentor to his team as a passionate advocate for the development of junior lawyers.
For the past two decades, Hinze has represented a variety of clients in foreign investment, cross-border corporate transactions, and complex alliance arrangements. Hinze previously worked in law and investment banking in China and has successfully advised clients in multijurisdictional international arbitrations across Asia within the energy, manufacturing, resources and construction and engineering sectors. Hinze speaks, reads, and writes Mandarin and is a leader in the field of Chinese business culture. A skilled negotiator, he regularly advises leaders of public and private companies on governance issues.
“Khilen and Carl are highly accomplished and well-credentialed Corporate lawyers with an exceptionally strong client following,” commented Chris Nikou, practice area leader of the firm’s Corporate practice. “They each bring with them unique skills and extensive international experience to service our growing client base in transactional M&A and Capital Raising. They are a tremendous asset, and we are thrilled to have them and their team join us.”
Devani and Hinze will join with their team, comprising senior associate, Julie Ubbesen, and lawyer, Mitchell Riggs. They are the latest partners to join K&L Gates in Australia over the past six months following the arrival of Real Estate partner Justin O’Callaghan and Finance partner Claudine Salameh, with the number of Australian partners rising to 76.
K&L Gates’ Corporate practice is one of the most substantial in the legal industry, with more than 500 lawyers in offices on five continents assisting clients in the structuring, financing, and completion of domestic, international, and cross-border transactions. The group serves as counsel to a broad array of Global 500, Fortune 100, FTSE 100 corporations, privately held and venture-backed companies, partnerships, private equity firms, other investment funds, management groups, and entrepreneurs.
LawFuell's editors select and publish the most relevant and up-to-date information about lawyers and law firms for LawFuel on a daily basis from the most reputable and independent sources available.
Tom Borman, LawFuel’s law marketing and editorial contributor
Forbes are known for their lists so when Forbes Advisor listed the top search engine optimization (SEO) law firms in the United States, we checked the Forbes’ Top 10 SEO services list to see if the same SEO services also helped law firms.
We checked the Forbes SEO service provider list to check whether their recommended SEO agencies handled law firm marketing, but also whether they specialized in that area.
The Forbes Top 10 SEO list do provide legal services too, all of them promising a variety of benefits and incentives for law firms to use their customized legal marketing services and clearly with a breadth of SEO expertise that encompasses law firm marketing requirements.
We note too that the Forbes list was updated in March 2024. And we also wrote about law firm SEO services recently, pointing out some of the key criteria required for law firm SEO.
In the competitive landscape of the legal industry, having a strong online presence is paramount. Search engine optimization (SEO) services play a crucial role in enhancing the visibility of law firms and attracting potential clients. To help you navigate through the myriad of options available, Forbes Advisor has evaluated over 100 agencies and identified the top 10 SEO services tailored for law firms.
1. SmartSites
Law firm SEO? Yes, another SEO company that has long experience handling law firm marketing with strong recommendations. See details here.
Location: Paramus, NJ
Founded: 2011
Why It’s the Best: SmartSites offers comprehensive SEO solutions customized to meet the unique needs of law firms. With a proven track record of delivering exceptional results, SmartSites stands out as the top choice for law firms seeking to enhance their online presence.
2. Victorious
Law Firm SEO? Yes, another agency with considerable experience handling the full range of law firm marketing requirements. See details here.
Location: San Francisco, CA
Founded: 2012
Why It’s the Best: Victorious specializes in providing SEO services for new websites, helping them gain traction in search engine rankings. With a focus on innovative strategies and cutting-edge techniques, Victorious is ideal for law firms looking to establish a strong digital footprint from the outset.
3. WebFX
Law Firm SEO? Yes. The firm puts some emphasis upon their work with law firms. See the details here.
Location: Harrisburg, PA
Founded: 1995
Forbes’ View – Why It’s the Best: WebFX offers affordable monthly SEO plans designed to suit the budgetary constraints of law firms. With transparent pricing and a commitment to delivering tangible results, WebFX is a trusted partner for law firms seeking cost-effective SEO solutions.
4. OuterBox
Law Firm SEO? Yes. The firm says its 20 years’ experience with law firm SEO at all levels makes it a pre-eminent law firm SEO services specialist. See the details here.
Location: Akron, OH
Founded: 2004
Why It’s the Best: OuterBox specializes in e-commerce SEO, providing tailored strategies to optimize online stores for maximum visibility and profitability. With a focus on driving organic traffic and increasing sales conversions, OuterBox is the go-to choice for law firms with e-commerce platforms.
5. SEO Brand
Law Firm SEO? Yes. the firm is another 20+ year SEO veteran that boasts awards and work with multiple organizations and professional firms, including attorneys
Locations: Boca Raton, Philadelphia, New York, Los Angeles, Hollywood
Founded: 2006
Why It’s the Best: SEO Brand excels in brand building through SEO, helping law firms enhance their brand visibility and authority in the digital space. With a multi-faceted approach and a team of seasoned experts, SEO Brand empowers law firms to establish a strong and recognizable brand presence online.
6. Funnel Boost Media
Law Firm SEO? Yes, Funnel Boost is one of the SEO firms that highlights its work for the legal industry. See the details here.
Location: San Antonio, TX
Founded: 2012
Why It’s the Best: Funnel Boost Media specializes in local SEO, enabling law firms to dominate their local markets and attract clients within their geographical vicinity. With targeted strategies and localized tactics, Funnel Boost Media helps law firms strengthen their community presence and drive local leads.
7. HigherVisibility
Law Firm SEO? Yes, and another agency that highlights its work for law firms with a focus upon their specialized legal SEO (and PPC) services. See more details here.
Location: Memphis, TN
Founded: 2009
Why It’s the Best: HigherVisibility offers full-service SEO and search engine marketing (SEM) solutions, providing comprehensive strategies to maximize online visibility and drive business growth. With a focus on holistic optimization techniques, HigherVisibility is a trusted partner for law firms seeking integrated digital marketing solutions.
8. Intero Digital
Law Firm SEO: Yes, the business is extensive and they handle a very wide variety of SEO work. See details here
Location: San Diego
Founded: 2004
Why It’s the Best: Intero Digital specializes in catering to the unique needs of large organizations, offering customized SEO strategies to align with their extensive requirements and objectives. With a wealth of experience and expertise, Intero Digital delivers tailored solutions to help large law firms achieve their digital marketing goals.
9. Incrementors
Law Firm SEO? Yes, the firm has a strong presence among the legal marketers, specializing in particular upon family law and personal injury law marketing. See details here.
Location: Marlton, NJ
Founded: 2012
Forbes say: Why It’s the Best: Incrementors stands out for its exceptional customer service, providing personalized support and guidance to law firms throughout their SEO journey. With a focus on building long-term relationships and delivering measurable results, Incrementors is a trusted ally for law firms seeking reliable SEO services.
10. Fannit
Law Firm SEO? Yes, although Fannit has a strong base in a variety of trade and business services it also promises to increase qualified leads for lawyers and provides guarantees to do so. See details here.
Location: Everett, WA
Founded: 2010
Forbes Say: Why It’s the Best: Fannit specializes in SEO content writing services, crafting compelling and optimized content to engage audiences and enhance search engine rankings. With a team of skilled writers and SEO experts, Fannit helps law firms create impactful content that drives traffic and generates leads.
When selecting an SEO service provider for any law firm you need to take care to consider all the factors that will be important including expertise, track record, and alignment with your firm’s goals.
The Forbes list of SEO companies in prepared without recourse to money-related commissions as the website keeps the two separated, thus adding to the value of their editorial efforts.
Choosing a good agency is certainly a key concern and we note too that there are some agencies that specialize only in law firm SEO work – LegalSeoFirm being one example – but do you checking carefully.
SEO professionals can certainly do a lot of the heavy lifting to boost search engine rankings. Although expert SEO work is different, most offer SEO services such as content creation, website optimization and both SEO and PPC services.
PaperStreet (an SEO agency) provides some useful tips on what to ask in an agency and some strategic questions that you – as lawyers – need to ask.
The SEO agency arena is a competitive one and it takes some effort with competing claims and promises, but the Forbes List involves a large degree of editorial independence on Forbes’ part, even though they earn some revenue from listings.
Tom Borman is a regular LawFuel contributor writing on the top law firms and best law firm lists in American law. He has written recently about law firm pay rates, major law firms like Kirkland & Ellis, law firm SEO and related legal matters. He can be contacted through news@lawfuel.com
