For those following the fortunes of legal directory Martindale Hubbell, the latest chapter in the story is the launch of a new website martindalenolo.com that brings together Martindale Hubbell and Nolo in one combined entity.
The relaunched business offers three core products:
- Law firm web hosting
- Legal lead generation
- Directory listings
The new site says:
“Martindale Nolo offers a full suite of online marketing solutions for law firms of all sizes. Our goal is to help law firms expand their practices through online channels. Our services include end-to-end website management, real-time lead generation and exposure through our online directory.
Martindale Nolo combines the strengths of Martindale-Hubbell’s attorney-facing resources and Nolo’s consumer-focused network of sites. This creates a powerful platform for attorneys to market their practices online.”
By way of background, Martindale Hubbell announced a joint venture with online marketing company Internet Brands – which owns Nolo – in September 2013.
Nolo was acquired by Internet Brands in April 2011, and offers consumers a range of online documents and other legal resources.
After starting life as CarsDirect.com, Internet Brands offers lead generation services across numerous industry sectors, and runs sites like apartmentratings.com and frugaltravelguy.com.
At the time of the Martindale-Internet Brands-Nolo joint venture, Martindale laid off more than 200 people and shifted its work focus to Internet Brands’ offices in California.
The joint venture sealed what had been happening for some time: Martindale’s transition from a traditional legal directory product to a marketing solutions company for smaller law firms – mostly in the United States – offering services like website design, hosting, SEO, and lead generation.
In June 2014, Martindale Hubbell was sold on again, as buyout giant KKR bought Internet Brands from another private equity company, Hellman & Friedman.
According to the Wall Street Journal, KKR paid around $1.1 billion for Internet Brands.
[…] and turns surrounding Martindale over the last year or two, the latest chapter in the story is the launch of a new entity that brings together Martindale Hubbell and Nolo under one […]