A relatively new term, "boutique law firm" refers to a small law practice that is staffed with only a few attorneys, and that specializes in a narrow field of practice.
Boutique law firms often advertise themselves as being highly selective of the cases that they will take on. This selectivity promises personalized, in-depth representation by expert lawyers.
The title “boutique law firm” is a recent phenomenon in legal marketing. A boutique law firm is the opposite of the general legal practitioner who advertises services in most legal practice areas like criminal, family, contracts, personal injury and real estate law.
In contrast, a boutique law firm offers services in a narrow, often esoteric area of one type of law. Examples of boutique law firm practice areas are freshwater admiralty law, web-based patent law, professional athlete agency law, and mental health malpractice law.