Kaplan Martin

Roberta Kaplan and Timothy Martin are two of America’s most respected legal minds. Martin is responsible for litigating what has been called “the most intensely contested contract in the history of litigation,” and is a trusted advisor to founders, CEOs, counsels, and anyone seeking solutions to the world’s most perplexing legal problems. Kaplan is a well-known advocate for liberal causes, from her efforts to win marriage equality in the United States, to her representation of E. Jean Carroll against President Donald Trump. In 2024, Kaplan and Martin hired Abbreviated Projects to help launch their new firm with understated elegance.

The Kaplan Martin identity reflects the prestige of the people behind the practice. Its logo system recalls early twentieth-century European graphic design, with a refined seal merging the initials of the firm’s founders. Set in a timeless serif, an eminently readable logotype expands and contracts depending on the context.

To bring a learned air to the brand’s aesthetic, we curated a “tortoise shell” color palette that recalls the sophisticated eyewear worn by lawyers scrutinizing dense legal documents. Altogether, the identity projects the trust, expertise, and intelligence Kaplan Martin’s clients look for in a high-stakes partnership.

Legal websites are notoriously dull, flat, and text-heavy. We took a new approach, designing a simple, easy-to-manage digital experience that emphasizes the profound influence of the firm’s founding partners. Working with our friends at Cold Rice, we developed the site with subtle interactive flourishes that never get in the way of the message.

Abbreviated Projects continues to support the firm with a range of creative and technical projects, from orchestrating its suite of luxurious personalized stationery, to designing event invitations and recognitions, to keeping its website up-to-date with news and new attorneys.