--- title: "Brown & Bates vs Legal Matters: Which is more popular in New Zealand?" description: "Is Brown & Bates or Legal Matters more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Napier law firms set in New Zealand. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time." canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/compare/brown-and-bates-vs-legal-matters" publisher: "Brandwave" --- # Brown & Bates vs Legal Matters: Which is more popular in New Zealand? Is Brown & Bates or Legal Matters more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Napier law firms set in New Zealand. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time. ## Key facts - **Compared**: Brown & Bates and Legal Matters - **Competitive set**: Napier law firms - **Market**: New Zealand - **Month measured**: Oct 2026 - **Brown & Bates Share of Search**: 1.6% - **Legal Matters Share of Search**: 3.3% ## Is Brown & Bates or Legal Matters more popular in search? - In October 2026, Legal Matters had more branded searches than Brown & Bates among Napier law firms in New Zealand. Legal Matters had about 40 branded searches, while Brown & Bates had 20. Legal Matters made up 3.3% of all Napier law firm searches we track, and Brown & Bates accounted for 1.6%. - The lead changed hands 2 times in the 12 months ending October 2026: Brown & Bates took it in June 2026, Legal Matters took it in July 2026. - Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Brown & Bates’ share of searches among Napier law firms in New Zealand moved from 0.77% to 1.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 10 to 20. - Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Legal Matters’ share of searches among Napier law firms in New Zealand moved from 2.3% to 3.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 30 to 40. ## Top Napier law firms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews In three ChatGPT questions, Brown & Bates was mentioned in two out of three: in two of the three ChatGPT answers. Legal Matters was mentioned in one out of three: in one of the three ChatGPT answers. Brown & Bates and Legal Matters were each listed first in one of the two answers that named either. Brands get a higher AI rank if they are mentioned earlier in the answers that list options. | Brand | AI rank | ChatGPT answers that named it | All answers that named it | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Langley Twigg Law | 1st | 3 of 3 | 3 of 3 | | Carlile Dowling | 2nd | 3 of 3 | 3 of 3 | | Sainsbury Logan & Williams | 3rd | 3 of 3 | 3 of 3 | | Willis Legal | 4th | 2 of 3 | 2 of 3 | | Brown & Bates | 5th | 2 of 3 | 2 of 3 | | Legal Matters | 6th | 1 of 3 | 1 of 3 | | Goodwill Law | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 3 | ## Every AI answer about Napier law firms - Asked ChatGPT "Which law firm should I hire in Napier, New Zealand?": 1. Langley Twigg Law, 2. Sainsbury Logan & Williams, 3. Carlile Dowling, 4. Willis Legal, 5. Brown & Bates - Asked ChatGPT "What are the best law firms in Napier, New Zealand?": 1. Langley Twigg Law, 2. Carlile Dowling, 3. Sainsbury Logan & Williams, 4. Willis Legal, 5. Legal Matters, 6. Brown & Bates - Asked ChatGPT "What's the best law firm in Napier, New Zealand for legal advice?": 1. Langley Twigg Law, 2. Carlile Dowling, 3. Sainsbury Logan & Williams Not named in any answer: Goodwill Law. Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in New Zealand on October 21, 2026. ## How did search popularity change for New Zealand Napier law firms in October 2026? - In October 2026, Legal Matters gained share of searches among Napier law firms in New Zealand, from 2.3% to 3.3%. - Estimated monthly branded searches for Brown & Bates in New Zealand rose 100% over 12 measured months, from 10 to 20 in October 2026. ## How has branded search for Brown & Bates and Legal Matters changed in New Zealand over the last 12 months? | Month | Brown & Bates estimated searches | Brown & Bates Share of Search | Brown & Bates rank | Legal Matters estimated searches | Legal Matters Share of Search | Legal Matters rank | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Nov 2025 | 10 | 0.77% | 6 | 30 | 2.3% | 5 | | Dec 2025 | 10 | 0.94% | 6 | 20 | 1.9% | 5 | | Jan 2026 | 10 | 0.71% | 6 | 20 | 1.4% | 5 | | Feb 2026 | 10 | 0.7% | 6 | 20 | 1.4% | 5 | | Mar 2026 | 10 | 0.61% | 6 | 30 | 1.8% | 5 | | Apr 2026 | 10 | 0.79% | 6 | 20 | 1.6% | 5 | | May 2026 | 10 | 0.74% | 6 | 20 | 1.5% | 5 | | Jun 2026 | 30 | 2.4% | 5 | 20 | 1.6% | 6 | | Jul 2026 | 20 | 1.7% | 6 | 30 | 2.5% | 5 | | Aug 2026 | 20 | 1.6% | 5 | 20 | 1.6% | 6 | | Sep 2026 | 20 | 1.5% | 6 | 30 | 2.3% | 5 | | Oct 2026 | 20 | 1.6% | 6 | 40 | 3.3% | 5 | ## How are Brown & Bates’ and Legal Matters’ branded searches counted? Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Brown & Bates’ and Legal Matters’ names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading. - **Brown & Bates**: Measured on the search terms “brown & bates” and “brown and bates”, summed into one figure. - **Legal Matters**: Measured on the search terms “legal matters” and “legal matters napier”, summed into one figure. - [Brown & Bates profile](/demand/nz/brands/brown-and-bates) - [Legal Matters profile](/demand/nz/brands/legal-matters) - [All Napier law firms in New Zealand](/demand/nz/locations/napier/law-firms): The set both shares are measured inside, 7 brands. ## Methodology - [How is the Brand Demand Index measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is Brown & Bates or Legal Matters more popular in search? In October 2026, Legal Matters had more branded searches than Brown & Bates among Napier law firms in New Zealand. Legal Matters had about 40 branded searches, while Brown & Bates had 20. Legal Matters made up 3.3% of all Napier law firm searches we track, and Brown & Bates accounted for 1.6%. ## Cite this page Brandwave. "Brown & Bates vs Legal Matters: Which is more popular in New Zealand?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/compare/brown-and-bates-vs-legal-matters This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/compare/brown-and-bates-vs-legal-matters. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.