KC law firm marketing vet opens own agency in Fairway

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Katie Hollar Barnard opened her legal marketing firm in Fairway earlier this year.

By Alicia Allison

A veteran of the marketing departments of two of Kansas City’s biggest law firms has opened her own agency in Fairway.

Katie Hollar Barnard spent nine and a half years at Lathrop and Gage before becoming the chief marketing officer at Shook Hardy and Bacon LLP three years ago. She left that position in February and started her own agency, Firesign Marketing.

“Our primary mission is to help attorneys attract, win, and retain business,” said Barnard. “We specialize in law firms of about 5 to 50. Another new line of business is working with legal technology companies and to help them tell their stories and change the profession.”

The company currently has about ten clients nationwide, from Colorado to Ohio. The company is located in the Fairway Office Park on Shawnee Mission Parkway.

“I had a dream of owning my own agency for a very long time,” said Barnard. “The timing was just right for our family so I took the leave. Entrepreneurship is an adventure and I worked for one of the best firms in the whole country, and I’m so glad that I did.”

Barnard says her husband David and her three step-daughters, Ava, Kate, and Remy, have all played supportive roles in helping her start the company. Barnard says she took inspiration from her twin step-daughters’ zodiac signs for the company name.

“When I was doing all of the branding exercises, I kept coming back to bringing light and warmth to legal. The legal profession is a human business. It’s humans serving humans. But often it’s very conservative and sometimes it could use a little light and warmth,” she said. “I wanted to think of something light and warm. So, one day in the car, I was talking to the kids about what their horoscope signs were and realized I’m a Leo and the twins [Ava and Kate] are Aries. I was telling them they’re fire signs and the fire signs are known for having passion and leadership and warmth and energy.”

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