The legal marketing industry has recently experienced two significant acquisitions, sending ripples through law firms and marketing professionals. GNGF, a well-regarded digital marketing agency for law firms, was acquired by Scorpion – a company with a controversial reputation in the legal marketing space. This acquisition has sparked concern among GNGF’s clients who fear that Scorpion’s approach to legal marketing solutions, often criticized for its high costs and proprietary platform, may shift the personalized service they have come to expect.

Around the same time, Thomson Reuters announced the sale of its FindLaw business to Internet Brands, marking another major shift in the landscape of legal marketing services. FindLaw, long a trusted resource for law firms seeking to enhance their online presence, will now be under new ownership, leaving many to wonder how this change will impact the future of the platform.

These acquisitions have sparked discussions within the legal industry, as many legal professionals are considering how these shifts may affect their digital marketing strategies and relationships with their current marketing providers.

Where FindLaw Fits in Internet Brands’ Legal Network

Internet Brands operates a large portfolio of legal properties, including Martindale-Hubbell, Lawyers.com, Avvo, and Nolo, often referenced in-market as the Martindale-Avvo network. FindLaw, long managed by Thomson Reuters, includes a consumer legal information portal and an attorney directory used by consumers and firms.

Internet Brands is a KKR portfolio company, and the addition of FindLaw places another established directory and content property within that group. This context helps law firms anticipate operational alignment with systems and standards already used across those Internet Brands platforms.

The Importance of Marketing Agencies for Law Firms

In today’s digital age, online visibility is critical for any law firm trying to attract new clients and stay competitive. However, legal professionals often lack the time and specialized expertise to effectively manage digital marketing solutions, from website design services to technical SEO and advertising campaigns. With their primary focus on serving clients and navigating complex legal matters, those in the legal profession simply don’t have the bandwidth to master these intricate marketing strategies and technical solutions.

The Need for Expert Guidance for Your Law Firm’s Success

This is where marketing agencies come in. By partnering with experts who understand the nuances of digital marketing for law firms, legal professionals can ensure that their legal practice is promoted effectively across the web. These agencies often provide a full suite of services – from designing, building and optimizing websites for search engines to crafting targeted advertising campaigns that drive leads and help large and small law firms stand out in a crowded legal marketplace.

You Can Focus on What You Do Best

Entrusting these tasks to specialist legal marketing professionals allows attorneys to focus on what they do best: providing exceptional legal services to their clients. Marketing agencies play a crucial role in helping law firms grow their local businesses, strengthen their brand and maintain a steady flow of new potential clients.

Marketing Compliance for Law Firms: ABA and State Rules

Your marketing must align with attorney advertising rules, including ABA Model Rules 7.1, 7.2, and 7.3, while recognizing that state bars govern locally. Avoid false or misleading statements, pay attention to how you use ratings and testimonials, and follow jurisdictional filing or disclaimer requirements.

Take care with words like specialist or expert, which in many jurisdictions require certification or specific disclaimers to avoid misleading the public. Maintain records of ads where required, and ensure solicitation practices, including live calls and direct messages, comply with state rules on person to person contact.

What Does the FindLaw Sale and Scorpion Acquisition Mean for Clients?

Understandably, FindLaw’s recent sale to Internet Brands and GNGF’s acquisition by Scorpion has caused uncertainty among many legal professionals. When a leading provider in legal marketing makes headlines like this, it raises valid concerns about how the shift in ownership might affect existing clients.

For Findlaw and GNGF clients, this acquisition will mean substantial changes to how their accounts are managed and how their services are delivered. Scorpion’s unique business model and structure have raised significant concerns and these law firms must evaluate how these shifts might influence their marketing efforts moving forward.

Immediate Account Access Audit: What to Verify Today

Before transitions progress, verify ownership and administrator access on all accounts that touch marketing performance and intake data. Document account IDs and primary emails, and confirm you can add or remove users without vendor intervention.

• Domain registrar and DNS: Confirm registrant of record, login access, and name servers.
• Website CMS and hosting: Ensure platform admin access, SFTP or control panel credentials.
• Google Analytics 4: Hold Admin rights at the property level.
• Google Tag Manager: Verify Admin in User Management.
• Google Search Console: Confirm Verified owner status.
• Google Ads: Check account ownership, billing profile, and payment settings.
• Microsoft Advertising: Confirm account access and billing.
• Google Business Profile: Hold Primary owner role.
• Meta Business Manager/Ads: Ensure Business Admin and ad account admin roles.
• Call tracking and chat: Retain platform logins and number ownership where applicable.

Concerns Over FindLaw’s Services

FindLaw provides various services to law firms, including website development, SEO, content creation and lead generation. The company also features a large directory where potential clients can search for attorneys by location and practice area. Its goal is to help law firms improve their online presence and attract new clients through digital marketing strategies.

However, several law firms have expressed serious concerns over some of the services they have received from FindLaw:

1. Return on Investment (ROI): Many law firms using FindLaw have reported frustration over poor ROI. Despite significant investments in FindLaw’s services, law firms often see limited new leads or cases, making them question the value of their spending. Firms are often left with high costs but little to show in terms of growth.
2. Long-Term Contracts: FindLaw is known for locking law firms into lengthy contracts, making it difficult for firms to leave or switch to a different provider if they are unsatisfied with the results. Breaking these contracts can be costly and complex.
3. Lead Quality Issues: Some law firms have complained about the quality of leads generated through FindLaw’s directory or marketing efforts. Many leads are either unqualified or irrelevant, which wastes time and resources.
4. Website Ownership: A key concern for law firms is website ownership. Some firms using FindLaw’s services may not fully own their websites, particularly if they are hosted on proprietary platforms. This limits the firm’s ability to move its site or make necessary changes without going through FindLaw.
5. Generic Marketing Strategies: FindLaw has been criticized for using a one-size-fits-all approach that may not be tailored to the unique needs of each law firm. This lack of customization can result in ineffective marketing efforts that fail to attract the right type of clients.
6. Shift in Ownership: The recent acquisition by Internet Brands raises additional concerns. Internet Brands is a large conglomerate with interests across various industries, and law firms worry that the personalized focus they need might be lost in favor of larger, more general corporate goals. This could lead to even more frustration over ROI and customer service.

How to Measure Marketing ROI with Standard Metrics

Measure results with standard metrics that compare spend to outcomes, and use consistent tracking so numbers remain comparable across vendors. Define each metric in advance, and ensure every lead source and conversion event maps clearly in your analytics and CRM.

• Cost per lead (CPL): Ad spend divided by total leads for the period.
• Qualified lead rate: Qualified leads divided by total leads.
• Cost per qualified lead: Total spend divided by qualified leads.
• Client acquisition cost (CAC): Total marketing and sales cost divided by new clients.
• Cost per signed case: Total spend divided by signed cases.
• Lead-to-client close rate: Signed cases divided by qualified leads.
• Tracking foundations: GA4 conversion events, call and form tracking, UTM parameters, and CRM pipeline stages with source.

Why the Concern Over Scorpion?

While Scorpion has built a prominent reputation in the legal marketing space, particularly for its focus on paid search, several recurring issues have come up in discussions with law firms who have worked with them. These concerns often revolve around the lack of transparency, flexibility and the overall effectiveness of their services.

Here are some of the most common concerns expressed by former and current Scorpion clients:

1. Proprietary Website Platforms: One of the biggest issues law firms face is Scorpion’s use of proprietary website platforms. While the websites themselves may be visually appealing and include custom graphics designed to create a polished, professional appearance, this visual appeal often comes at the expense of flexibility. Clients quickly realize that they are locked into Scorpion’s system, which creates challenges if you ever want to leave the agency, as you can’t easily transfer or modify your website using open platforms like WordPress. It also limits your control over site management.
2. You are Renting Your Website: Since Scorpion charges a monthly fee for your website, you are essentially renting it. This means you are paying a premium price for a custom-built website without full ownership or control over its functionality. You are left in the dark about what’s being done under the hood, which limits your ability to make changes or take your site with you if you leave.
3. Lack of Keyword Transparency: Several clients have expressed frustration over the lack of access to detailed keyword data. Clients have no access to which keywords are driving the highest-value cases or conversions, making it difficult to adjust their marketing strategy effectively. This lack of transparency can frustratingly lead to wasted Google ads spending on irrelevant keywords.
4. Limited SEO Focus: It is well known that Scorpion is heavily focused on paid advertising, often at the expense of a more balanced SEO strategy. While the agency does offer some SEO services, many clients find these efforts to be insufficient, particularly when organic search is absolutely critical for long-term success.
5. Long-Term Contracts: Many Scorpion clients have reported dissatisfaction with being locked into long-term contracts that are difficult to exit. If the results aren’t meeting expectations, clients are often stuck with high monthly fees and limited options to pivot or reduce these costs.
6. High Costs Without ROI: One of the more common complaints is that Scorpion’s services come with steep price tags, yet clients feel that the return on investment (ROI) does not match the expense. This is especially concerning for law firms that aren’t seeing enough new, quality leads to justify the ongoing marketing spend.
7. Misleading or Inflated Reporting: Some clients have noted that Scorpion’s reports often inflate the success of their campaigns. For instance, irrelevant leads (such as wrong numbers or non-case-related calls) are sometimes counted as valid leads, making the lead generation numbers appear higher than they actually are.
8. Low Lead Quality: Even when lead numbers seem high, clients report receiving a large volume of unqualified leads – those that don’t convert into actual cases. This can make marketing efforts feel fruitless and unproductive.
9. Poor SEO Performance: Despite the high cost of their services, many clients find that their websites still rank low in search engine results. This poor performance significantly limits a firm’s visibility, making it harder to compete for organic traffic.
10. Limited Control Over Content: Clients often face hurdles when trying to make changes to their website content. Rather than having direct access, many firms must go through Scorpion to update or adjust content, leading to delays and frustration.
11. Communication Issues: Numerous clients have expressed dissatisfaction with Scorpion’s communication. It can be difficult to reach knowledgeable representatives, and many clients feel they are only able to speak with assigned account managers who may not always have the expertise needed.
12. Slow Response Times: Clients report delays in response times, especially when they need urgent adjustments for time-sensitive case opportunities. This lack of urgency can result in missed opportunities for high-value cases.
13. Inability to Compete with Larger Firms: Some clients have voiced concerns that Scorpion’s strategies leave them at a disadvantage when trying to compete against larger firms with bigger advertising budgets. Without personalized strategies, smaller or mid-sized firms may find it difficult to break through the noise.
14. Lack of Personalized Strategies: A frequent point of frustration is that many law firms feel their marketing strategies with Scorpion are a one-size-fits-all approach, lacking the tailored solutions necessary to meet their specific goals. Clients understandably want strategies that reflect their unique needs and the nuances of their practice areas.

Migrating from a Proprietary Website to an Open Platform: Critical Steps

If you plan to move from a proprietary platform, map a structured migration that protects rankings, data, and user experience. Schedule the cutover during lower traffic windows, and coordinate DNS changes with a reduced TTL to speed propagation.

• Content inventory and export: Capture pages, posts, media, and downloadable files.
• URL mapping and 301s: Build redirects for every changed path to preserve equity.
• Metadata and schema: Preserve titles, descriptions, headers, and structured data.
• Forms and tracking: Recreate forms and replicate GA4, GTM, and Search Console.
• Performance: Improve page speed and Core Web Vitals with compression and caching.
• Accessibility: Confirm alt text, color contrast, and keyboard navigation.
• Media handling: Maintain filenames or update references sitewide.
• Pre and post crawls: Fix 404s, redirect chains, and orphan pages.
• Post-launch monitoring: Watch logs and analytics to catch issues quickly.

These issues have led many law firms to explore alternative marketing agencies that offer more tailored, transparent and effective marketing strategies.

What Should FindLaw and GNGF Clients Do Next?

Before making any decisions, consider reaching out to your current account manager at FindLaw and GNGF for clarity on how this transition will be handled. Ask specific questions about whether your contract terms, pricing and marketing strategies will be affected.

Key Contract Clauses to Review Before Renewing or Transitioning

Before renewing or exiting, review your agreements so expectations, ownership, and exit paths are clear and documented. Ask for amendments in writing where gaps exist, and set dates for deliverables and access transfers.

• Term and renewal: Initial term, auto-renewal windows, and notice periods.
• Termination: For convenience, for cause, and cure periods.
• Scope and service levels: Deliverables, timelines, and response times.
• Intellectual property: Ownership of code, content, and designs.
• Data portability: Export rights and format requirements.
• Administrative control: Access to ad, analytics, and hosting accounts.
• Conflicts: Non-solicitation and market conflict provisions.
• Disputes: Resolution process and governing law.

The Moral Obligation of Marketing Agencies

It is also crucial to recognize the moral obligation marketing agencies have to be fully transparent with their clients. As a law firm, you should never have to question who owns your website, Google Business Profile or data. These are fundamental assets that belong to you, not the agency. Ensuring you have full ownership and access to these resources is not just good practice – it is absolutely essential for maintaining control over your law firm’s online presence.

You simply cannot afford to relinquish access to something as critical as your website or digital data.

What Are FindLaw and Scorpion Doing with All This Law Firm Data?

This brings up an important concern – what are FindLaw and Scorpion actually doing with all this law firm data? There is growing anxiety around whether data collected from law firms is being used to feed Scorpion’s AI or other internal systems, which could present a conflict of interest. It raises an unsettling question – are they using your data to improve their own algorithms, potentially to the benefit of other firms, including your very own competitors?

Data Governance Basics for Law Firms Working with Agencies

Clarify data roles and safeguards with any vendor that touches leads, intake, or client communications. Spell out responsibilities in a data processing addendum, and require security controls that match the sensitivity of the information handled.

• Roles: Define controller and processor responsibilities in the contract.
• Retention: Set timelines for storing and deleting ads, analytics, and intake data.
• PII limits: Share only necessary fields from forms, chat, and call recordings.
• Security: Enforce two-factor authentication on core systems.
• Access: Use least privilege and promptly revoke stale permissions.
• Privacy laws: CCPA and CPRA may apply based on thresholds, so align notices and request handling.

What About Your Ad Spend?

Then there’s the issue of ad spend. Many firms have voiced concerns that they don’t know exactly where their ads are being displayed or how their budgets are being managed. This lack of transparency makes it difficult to ensure that your advertising dollars are being used effectively, particularly in terms of local SEO. Are your ads reaching the right audience in your local market?

Even more alarming, some firms have reported not having the ability to pause their campaigns when needed – meaning, for example, you can’t even take a vacation without worrying about ads running during downtime.

This level of dependency and control should raise red flags for any firm.

PPC Transparency: Reports and Settings You Should See

Every law firm should see the same native reports and settings that agencies use, and you should be able to pause or edit campaigns. Request access at the account level, then review these standard items during regular reporting and audits.

• Ownership and billing: Account access, billing profile, and payment methods.
• Budgets and bidding: Campaign budgets, strategies, and shared libraries.
• Conversions: Actions and definitions, with duplicates or imports identified.
• Search terms and negatives: Review by campaign for relevance and waste.
• Locations: Targets and geographic performance reports.
• Devices and schedule: Performance by device and daypart.
• Auction insights: Impression share and overlap rates.
• Change history: Logs, notes, and asset versioning.

Transparency is Non-Negotiable

If you are concerned about these potential shifts, now is the time to explore other legal marketing agencies that emphasize transparency and offer a more client-centric approach. You deserve a partner who not only delivers results but also ensures that you maintain full ownership and control of your digital assets at all times.

Law firms should be asking these key questions:

• Transparency: Is the marketing agency open about how it handles your marketing efforts, ad spending and data? Make sure they provide clear, detailed reporting so you always know what is happening.
• Contract Terms: How long are you locked into the contract? Avoid agencies that require long-term commitments without the flexibility to exit if you are not satisfied with their services.
• Conflict of Interest: Does the agency work with your direct competitors? Ensure that your marketing partner isn’t representing multiple firms in the same market, which could dilute your efforts.
• Data Ownership: Do you own your website, Google Business Profile and other marketing assets? It is vital that you retain full control of your data and can take it with you if you part ways with the agency.

Why Choose Conroy Creative Counsel?

Lawyers are busy running their firms and may not have the technical know-how to manage digital marketing efforts. That is why it is essential to find a marketing agency that takes its moral obligation seriously – keeping you informed and involved, without burdening you with the technical work. Look for a partner who does the heavy lifting while ensuring that you always have full visibility into what is being done on your behalf.

Our Promise To You

At Conroy Creative Counsel, we are proud to be a preferred choice for many law firms seeking expert digital marketing solutions and award-winning web design.

Here’s what makes us stand out in the legal marketing space:

✅ Industry Expertise:

Specializing in strategic marketing consulting and creative services for the legal industry, we offer tailored marketing solutions specifically for law firms. Our highly skilled team understands the unique challenges of legal marketing and creates personalised marketing strategies that attract and convert the right clients for your practice.

✅ Award-Winning Design:

Conroy Creative Counsel is recognized for its award-winning web design, delivering not only visually stunning websites but also functional, conversion-focused designs. Our team creates custom websites that represent your firm’s professionalism while improving user experience and engagement.

✅ Transparency:

With a commitment to clear communication and transparency, we keep you informed every step of the way. You will always know where your marketing dollars are going, how your campaigns are performing, and what steps are being taken to optimize your firm’s online presence.

✅ Custom Solutions & Full Asset Ownership:

At Conroy Creative Counsel, we ensure that you retain full control over your digital assets. We don’t lock clients into proprietary platforms, so you maintain ownership of your website, Google Business Profile and other assets. Our solutions are always tailored to your firm’s specific needs, delivering custom strategies designed to meet your goals.

✅ Partnership Approach:

As your Marketing Co-Counsel, we work as a true partner, ensuring that your marketing efforts are aligned with your firm’s long-term vision. We will help precisely identify your firm’s needs and formulate a strategic plan to ensure your marketing aligns with your business objectives. This hands-on approach guarantees that your law firm’s marketing is as effective as possible, without you needing to oversee every detail.

✅ Proven Track Record:

With a reputation for delivering outstanding results, we at Conroy Creative Counsel have earned the trust of law firms nationwide. Our portfolio showcases successful projects across various practice areas, offering a history of growth and client satisfaction.

Reach Out to Us Today

Contact us today and partner with a trusted marketing agency dedicated to elevating your law firm’s success with tailored, results-driven marketing solutions.