Law Firm Launches Ad Campaign
What law firm is celebrating its 150th anniversary? Miller Canfield, of course. That's the tag line on advertisements Michigan's oldest law firm, Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone, P.L.C. developed as part of its sesquicentennial anniversary celebration.
"We originally planned three ads," said Thomas W. Linn, Miller Canfield's CEO. "We created a fourth ad in January when we announced our combination with the Wilson Walker law firm in Windsor. The announcement is similar to the three 150th ads. Unlike traditional law firm announcements that begin 'We are pleased to announce," ours asks: Name Three Things Connecting Michigan and Canada (A bridge, a tunnel and & ) The answer?: Miller Canfield, of course. The copy announces Miller Canfield's expansion into Ontario and our 150th anniversary celebration.
The first ad to appear was What do the Mackinac Bridge, a London taxi and Poland have in common? Miller Canfield, of course. It highlights the firm's international expertise while also celebrating its corporate and public law practices. According to Linn, "The most famous of the firm's bond projects was the Mackinac Bridge, a critical link in the nation's transportation system, not to mention the physical and social geography of Michigan. When Solidarity came to power in Poland, Miller Canfield was asked to establish the country's first privately owned commercial bank. As the ad states 'Miller Canfield attorneys have the expertise to set precedents and the pioneering gumption to confront new territory," said Linn.
The second ad is titled Where do I-75, Canada Highway 401 and NAFTA Lead? Miller Canfield, of course. While the ad copy highlights the firm's international practice and its services to foreign organizations, the title also subtly underscores the firm's well-known public law and bond practices. "Miller Canfield's work in the field of construction bonds helped build the infrastructure that has facilitated the economic growth of Michigan. You can't drive on an expressway in Michigan that Miller Canfield didn't write the bond issue for. And its not just roads. The 1998 bond issue for the new Midfield terminal, for instance, remains the largest airport revenue bond in U.S. history," Linn said.
The third ad Who plays with boats, hammers and hockey skates? Miller Canfield, of course celebrates the firm's dedication to civic involvement. Civic dedication, said Linn, is one of the principles on which the firm was founded. "Participating in civic, charitable, and other eleemosynary organizations is part of the fabric of this firm. Our history traces the importance of civic dedication from our firm's founder Sidney Davy Miller through today. A recent example is the charity hockey game Miller Canfield attorneys and staff played against Detroit Red Wing Alumni benefiting the Red Wing Alumni Charities and the National Kidney Foundation of Michigan," said Linn.
In addition to the ads, the firm's 150th anniversary will be celebrated throughout the year by client receptions in the firm's various offices and numerous internal activities for employees, the creation of a sesquicentennial logo, and publishing a firm history titled Miller Canfield at 150: An Informal History, written by award-winning author and historian James E. Tobin, Jr., son of the longtime head of the firm's labor and employment group. Twice nominated for the Pulitzer Prize while a reporter for the Detroit News, Tobin's first book, Ernie Pyle's War: America's Eyewitness to WW II, won the National Book Critics Circle Award in biography in 1998.
Miller Canfield enjoys the distinction of being one of the nation's leading firms in its specialty areas and was recently named one of America's Best Corporate Law Firms by Corporate Board Member magazine. Miller Canfield represents individuals in their personal and business concerns, trusts and estates, publicly traded and multinational companies, and many start-up, small, and medium-sized businesses. Its client base also includes public bodies such as the state of Michigan and many of its agencies, authorities and universities, cities, counties, townships, school and community college districts, and special authorities throughout the state. Its attorneys also represent numerous nonprofit, tax-exempt institutions, such as hospitals, charitable organizations, and professional associations.
The 300-attorney law firm of Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone, P.L.C. , established in Detroit, Michigan in 1852, has offices in Ann Arbor, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Howell, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Monroe, Troy, Washington, D.C., New York City, Pensacola, Florida, Windsor, Ontario, Canada, and in Gdynia, Katowice, and Warsaw, Poland. The internet address is www.millercanfield.com.
