NZ law firm Kirkland Morrison O’Callahan becomes K3 with Principals-led rebrand

Branding design agency Principals has unveiled its rebrand for law firm Kirkland Morrison O’Callahan which has adopted the K3 brand across its three service companies: K3 Legal Limited, K3 Accounting Limited and K3 Consulting Limited.

Following several incarnations lending to the traditional naming construct of law firms, the business wanted a simple, succinct name that would work in both the New Zealand and Chinese markets.

Drawing inspiration from the mountain K2, the ‘K’ is a nod to the roots of the business and the name Kirkland, while the number three refers to the three companies sharing the brand. The K has been designed to butt against the margin of a page with the three stripes vertical for the New Zealand arm of the business, and horizontal in China in reference to the Chinese symbol for the number three. Red was selected because of its warmth and symbolism of luck in Chinese culture.

Says Mark Kirkland, one of the founders who helped start the law firm more than nine years ago: “In a sector of one dimensional offerings we wanted to offer more. We’ve never had a traditional mindset – we like to challenge the status quo, we believe in collective thinking and we’re bringing something new to the market.”

Says Steve Main, general manager, Principals Auckland: “K3 is a brand for the modern world. We have seen this in action working with them to bring a fresh brand identity to life. The new look is warm and contemporary befitting each of the organisations. With these brand assets in place, we truly believe these are businesses to watch.”   

The rebrand follows Principals work with law firm Russell McVeagh and ADLS (Auckland District Law Society). Both unveiled new brand identities last month.