Time was, big law firms viewed their long unwieldy firm names with pride, as if an oral exercise in tongue-twisting illiteration was somehow a measure of quality and professionalism.

Maybe it’s the internet age and information overload, but it appears to be a bona fide trend that law firm names are shrinking. Commas and ampersands are also disappearing. In some cases it's a conscious marketing decision, and sometimes long firm names just shrink in an organic process that starts when clients and colleagues develop an abbreviated street name that eventually sticks.  Think about Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw, which is now just Mayer Brown.  Or Winstead Sechrest & Minick, now simply Winstead.