The Marketing History of First4Lawyers: The UK’s Most-Seen Legal Brand 

The legal sector is highly competitive, and standing out in a crowded market is no easy task. At First4Lawyers, we’ve spent the last 15+ years building our reputation as the UK’s most-seen legal brand, a journey defined by innovation, strategic marketing, and an unwavering commitment to access to justice. 

From our humble beginnings in 2008 to becoming an industry leader in legal marketing, our story is one of resilience, adaptability, and success while remaining independently owned. This article takes a deep dive into how First4Lawyers grew into the UK’s most recognisable legal brand, our key marketing milestones, and our vision for the future. 

A Bold Beginning: The Birth of First4Lawyers 

Founded in 2008, First4Lawyers was the brainchild of three industry experts in marketing, legal services, and technology. Their goal was simple:

• Make legal services more accessible
• Support law firms in finding high-quality clients
• Build a brand that people trust 

Operating in a market where longevity is rare, we’ve remained independently owned and family-run, staying true to our core values. 

A year later, in 2009, we took our first major marketing leap, launching our first TV adverts. These campaigns proved to be an instant success, helping us grow rapidly and leading to the expansion of our team and office space in 2010. 

Breaking Through: Building a Household Name 

By 2011, we were ready to take our brand visibility to the next level. We introduced Andrew Castle as the face of First4Lawyers, launching the now-iconic “Sorry” TV ad campaign, seen by millions across the UK. 

This was a game-changer. Our growing reputation in the market was solidified when we won ‘Claims Management Company of the Year’ at the Personal Injury Awards in 2012 and 2013. 

Key Milestones in Our Marketing Journey: 

• 2014 – Our latest TV ad featuring Andrew Castle and the soundtrack ‘Can’t Fight This Feeling’ became an instant hit, with over one million YouTube views. 
• 2015 – A year of unprecedented recognition, winning four major industry awards, including Marketing Campaign of the Year at the PI Awards. 
• 2016 – We surpassed 200,000 legal enquiries, expanded our office space, and released our first White Paper, setting the foundation for ongoing thought leadership. 

Through continuous investment in marketing, TV, digital campaigns, and thought leadership, First4Lawyers became a brand people recognised and trusted. 

Continuing To Grow: Ambition and a Strategic Approach 

As we entered the late 2010s, we continued to push boundaries with new campaigns, innovative marketing strategies, and community initiatives. 

• 2017 – Launched the Cycle Safety Tour, educating children on road safety and running a ‘design your own helmet’ competition. 
• 2019 – Became an official sponsor of Huddersfield Town AFC, further strengthening our local and national presence. 
• 2021 – Launched First4InjuryClaims, to support road traffic accident claims after the CLA implementation of the OIC Portal. 

By 2022, we had reached over 15,000 Trustpilot reviews, with 90% of clients rating us 5 stars. Our digital presence was stronger than ever, appearing in over 2.2 million Google searches, with one in three people searching “No Win No Fee” clicking through to our website. 

In 2023, we celebrated our 15-year anniversary and received industry recognition with F4IC receiving the claimant team of the year award and continued our investment in our technology capabilities. This would support our future plans to expand our range of marketing services we offer law firms into new areas of law. 

Since then, we have continued to grow and innovate across our service areas, moving into new areas such as Conveyancing and Housing Disrepair, launching new products and platforms and we have seen our team increase in size to over 60 employees. 

What it Takes to be a Leading Legal Brand 

Our marketing efforts continue to deliver exceptional results, making us one of the most recognised legal brands in the UK. Here’s a look at what we achieved in the last 12 months: 

• Helped almost 50,000 people access a variety of legal services 
• Surpassed 18,000 Trustpilot reviews, retaining a 5-star rating 
• Launched F4LPlus our conveyancing platform  
• Launched a new HDR lead generation offering 
• Our marketing has been seen over 44 million times. 
• It would take one person 328 days to watch all the views our TikTok advertising has received and a week to watch the number of times our TV advert has appeared on TV. 
• In total people have spent the equivalent of 324 days solid on our website and it has recorded over 10 million interactions. 
• Our legal services team have spent the equivalent of 555 days, 12 hours, 15 minutes and 28 seconds on over 70,000 calls to clients and dealt with over 1,600 chats via our live chat and chat bot.  

Through a multi-channel marketing approach, including TV, digital, social media, PPC, and SEO, we’ve continued to lead the market in brand recognition and client engagement. 

Why Our Marketing Strategy Works 

Our success isn’t just about visibility—it’s about trust, consistency, and innovation. 

The Core Pillars of Our Marketing Strategy: 

• TV Advertising: Our high-impact TV campaigns drive brand recognition and establish credibility. 
• Digital & Social Media: We leverage SEO, PPC, and platforms like TikTok and YouTube to engage millions. 
• Thought Leadership: Through White Papers, expert insights, and educational content, we position ourselves as industry leaders. 
• Client-Centric Approach: We prioritise access to justice and ensure people can find the legal help they need quickly and easily. 
• Our Independence: We don’t operate in the areas our clients do, ensuring you get the best leads in the fairest way possible, setting us apart from the rest. 

Through consistent investment in marketing, people, and technology, we have solidified our position as the UK’s most-seen legal brand.  

Looking Ahead: The Future of First4Lawyers 

At First4Lawyers, we’re never standing still. Our commitment to innovation and growth continues, with exciting new projects on the horizon. 

In 2025 and beyond, we will: 

• Continue investing in digital transformation to improve client experiences 
• Expand our content and social media presence, ensuring we stay ahead of industry trends 
• Enhance our lead generation strategies to deliver high-quality cases to our panel firms 
• Strengthen our brand awareness through large-scale marketing campaigns 

We remain steadfast in our commitment to our panel members and clients—helping people across the UK access the justice they deserve. 

We couldn’t have reached these milestones without the dedicated efforts of our team, the support of our panel members, and the trust of our clients. 

Here’s to many more years of growth, success, and innovation as First4Lawyers continues to progress in the legal marketing industry.