In this episode of "Spill the Ink," Michelle Calcote King sits down with Barnaby Merrill, US editor at Legal 500, to unpack everything legal marketers need to know about one of the industry's most established rankings programs. Barnaby walks through what makes a strong submission, how referee feedback actually influences ranking decisions and why firms new to the process may be closer to a strong ranking than they think. He also shares what's new with the US Elite rankings — a partner-led, jurisdiction-specific program now in its second year — and explains how Legal 500's data is increasingly shaping the answers AI tools serve up when corporate clients search for outside counsel.

• What Legal 500 looks for in matter highlights — and what to leave out

• How referee feedback factors into rankings (and why low response rates aren't the dealbreaker firms fear)

• The biggest misconception about breaking into the rankings for the first time

• What's different about the US Elite rankings: partner-led, interview-driven and jurisdiction-specific

• How Legal 500's rankings are surfacing in AI-generated law firm recommendations

Barnaby Merrill is the United States editor at Legal 500. He has been at Legal 500 since 2019 and took on his current role in 2023. In this role, he oversees all research into the US private practice market, including the national Legal 500 United States and the state and city-based US Elite rankings, which are in their second year having launched in February 2025. Barnaby is passionate about the US legal market in all its forms, with a strong interest in the intersection between client service and market growth with a view to the long-term future of law firms.

• Check out Legal500

• Follow Legal500 on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram

• Connect with Barnaby Merrill on LinkedIn

• Say hello to Michelle Calcote King on LinkedIn

This episode is brought to you by Reputation Ink.

Founded by Michelle Calcote King, Reputation Ink is a marketing and public relations agency that serves B2B professional services firms of all shapes and sizes across the United States, including corporate law firms and architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) firms.

Reputation Ink understands how sophisticated corporate buyers find and select professional services firms. For more than a decade, they have helped firms grow through thought leadership-fueled strategies, including public relations, content marketing, video marketing, social media, podcasting, marketing strategy services, creative services and more.

To learn more, visit www.rep-ink.com or email them at info@rep-ink.com today.