SEPTEMBER 3, 2025 – An analysis of business of law press releases published by law firms over the last year has revealed the most tired, overused words and phrases. These include descriptors such as leading, best, innovative, cutting edge, and top tier, and verbs such as pleased, excited, delighted, and thrilled. Global communications and reputation management firm Infinite analyzed 479 business-of-law press releases issued by 238 US and UK corporate law firms between June 2024 and July 2025 to identify the most commonly used cliched language. Of the press releases Infinite analyzed, 87% included at least one of the 10 most commonly overused words.

1. 1. Leading
   2. Best
   3. Most
   4. Pleased
   5. Excited
   6. Delighted
   7. Proud
   8. Excellence
   9. Thrilled
   10. Largest / Innovative (tie)

Firms on both sides of the Atlantic typically turned to the same set of words, though some regional distinctions emerged. For example, US law firms were more likely to take a conversational tone, using words like pleased, while UK firms used slightly more formal language, like delighted. Press releases focused on law firm partnerships with other organizations, as well as awards and recognitions, and law firm initiatives had the highest frequency of jargon, while those dealing with ESG, DEI, and pro bono work were the most restrained. “Moderation is key,” says Infinite Associate Director Matthew Gilleard. “Just as overuse erodes impact, sparing use increases it, so we advise clients to deploy your pleaseds and thrilleds wisely.” The research also revealed correlations between the type of press release and specific language. For example, proud was most frequently used in releases related to ESG, DEI, and pro bono work, while excited appeared most frequently in releases related to law firm partnerships, and office moves and expansions. Over-reliance on cliched language carries a few risks for corporate law firms. Sophisticated audiences, including journalists and corporate counsel, may respond with skepticism when reading announcements that contain an abundance of superlatives and overused words. When it happens repeatedly, journalists may also start to tune out a law firm’s press releases. “A press release with too much information or fluff risks losing credibility with reporters or wasting their time,” says Infinite Head Writer Andrew Longstreth. Additionally, AI has a growing influence on search results, and content that uses precise language—without fluff or possibly inflated claims—stands a far greater chance of appearing in AI search results. “Press releases themselves are an important resource for boosting discoverability by AI tools,” says Infinite Director Tal Donahue, who regularly advises clients on the intersection of public relations and artificial intelligence. “Quality content that is grounded in facts and figures, and which is optimized for discovery, is essential for any business that wants to boost visibility, trust, and authority online.”

Methodology

Infinite gathered business of law press releases issued between June 2024 and June 2025 from US and UK corporate firms of all sizes. In total, 240 US press releases and 239 UK press releases from a combined total of 238 law firms were analyzed. Press releases were normalized for language and spelling variations, and boilerplate language was removed. The resulting dataset of nearly 200,000 words was then analyzed to identify the most commonly overused words and phrases in each jurisdiction and for each business of law sub-topic.

About Infinite

Infinite is an award-winning communications and reputation management firm. Led by seasoned media professionals, the firm provides communication and creative services including media relations, crisis and litigation communications, research, media training, and a full range of content solutions. It has offices in New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and London. For more information, learn more about what we do.