The Lawyers Weekly - January 14, 2011

THE LAWYERS WEEKLY
January 14, 2011| 19

BUSINESS
CAREERS

The name game

ELAINE WILTSHIRE

JAMES BOND — the lawyer, not 007 — is fully aware of what people are thinking when they see or hear his name.

“ ‘Bond, James Bond’ — I get that a lot,”
he says with a laugh. “I know what people
are thinking when they hear my name. It
always gets a chuckle.”
Although Bond, owner of Bond &
Hughes in Perth, Ont., where he focuses
on rural real estate and corporate com-
mercial transactions, admits to some-
times being self conscious about his
famous name, he says it’s actually great
for business.

“No question it’s good for marketing…
People will come in because a real estate
agent had given them a list of three or
four lawyers and, of course, my name
stands out.”
Patti Hone, president and creative dir-
ector of As You Like It Marketing and
Communications in Toronto, agrees that
having a unique or ironic name can be a
huge advantage to a lawyer, especially in
such a competitive profession.

“People are going to remember [a famous name] and I think there will be a little curiosity there,” says Hone.

Bond agrees, saying that clients admit
to calling him because they want a lawyer
named “James Bond” to represent them. “I
know that it works from that standpoint;
it’s not a conscious effort on my part, it’s
just my name.”
But once that first call is made, it’s then
up to Bond to prove that he is the right
lawyer for the job.