Brand guidance: Tone of voice

Why it matters

Our tone of voice is a vital expression of who we are. It reflects our brand identity, values, and personality—helping us build trust, credibility, and meaningful connections with our audiences. We’re known as a firm where people are genuinely nice to deal with, and that should shine through in everything we say.

By being engaging, human, and empathetic, we connect on a personal level—making clients feel valued and understood. This friendly, approachable tone enhances every interaction and reinforces our commitment to exceptional service, while clearly conveying our expertise.

British English is the official language of our firm. We strive for clear, jargon-free, gender-neutral language that is engaging and easy to read.

Our tone of voice is: Engaging, human & empathetic.

At the firm, being human is a strength. We communicate with warmth, empathy and intention.

• use personal pronouns, for example ‘we’ and ‘you’ rather than ‘Shoosmiths’ and ‘the client’

• are aware of what they expect and show them the shared ground we occupy

• use a punchy word or analogy that underscores how we know their respective markets

• include a call to action (even if it’s just who to contact for more information)

• use examples, stories and anecdotes our audience can relate to and find useful.

Our tone of voice is: Experienced & respected

We are experts in our respective fields of law and know our subjects inside-out.

• everything we do reflects our pragmatic approach to the law—we always set our advice against a wider commercial background and offer sound and sensible guidance

• we are supportive in tone, with a solution to offer

• we avoid inconclusive words and phrases such as ‘could’, ‘possibly’, ‘may have’ or ‘hopefully’

• we never use the passive voice when we can use the active instead (for example ‘Dog bites man’ rather than ‘Man was bitten by a dog’).

Our tone of voice is: Progressive, innovative & entrepreneurial

We are ready to think differently and commercially to make a difference. We are:

• sure of our message and clear about what action we would like the reader to take,

• not afraid of coming off the fence and offering a measured steer or opinion, as opposed to just stating the letter of the law.

Our tone of voice is: Clear & concise

Our approach is relational, not transactional. Our thinking brings clarity, not complexity. Our output is relevance, not noise. While others speak in jargon, we focus on what matters. A few examples include:

• don’t use acronyms without spelling them out first – for example, Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA)

• keep sentences short to keep readers’ attention. If it is possible to cut a word out, cut it out

• avoid academic, discursive or overly theoretical language: aim to be understood by any business professional

• choose short words rather than long – for example ‘use’, not ‘utilise’; ‘help’, not ‘assistance’

• avoid meaningless phrases like ‘almost unique’, ‘revert back’, ‘collaborate together'.

What this means for content

1. we speak with the confidence of experience, the energy of innovation, and the mindset of entrepreneurs. Our progressive, clear, and concise communication ensures our messages are impactful, accessible, and easy to understand

2. we have a clear point of view on sector trends and publish sharp, opinionated insights using strong, confident language over industry jargon

3. we go beyond transactional content to offer immediate value, through the insight, stories and data shared

4. we structure our content to guide, not overwhelm

5. we anticipate what users need before they have to ask, and we speak their language and offer insight of real substance.