--- title: "Gifford Devine vs Willis Legal: Which is more popular in New Zealand?" description: "Is Gifford Devine or Willis Legal more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Hastings 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/gifford-devine-vs-willis-legal" publisher: "Brandwave" --- # Gifford Devine vs Willis Legal: Which is more popular in New Zealand? Is Gifford Devine or Willis Legal more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Hastings 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**: Gifford Devine and Willis Legal - **Competitive set**: Hastings law firms - **Market**: New Zealand - **Month measured**: Oct 2026 - **Gifford Devine Share of Search**: 28% - **Willis Legal Share of Search**: 14.7% ## Is Gifford Devine or Willis Legal more popular in search? - In October 2026, Gifford Devine had more branded searches than Willis Legal among Hastings law firms in New Zealand. Gifford Devine had about 210 branded searches, while Willis Legal had 110. Gifford Devine made up 28% of all Hastings law firm searches we track, and Willis Legal accounted for 14.7%. - Gifford Devine was ahead of Willis Legal in every measured month of the 12 months ending October 2026. - Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Gifford Devine’s share of searches among Hastings law firms in New Zealand moved from 35.8% to 28%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 380 to 210. - Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Willis Legal’s share of searches among Hastings law firms in New Zealand moved from 13.2% to 14.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 140 to 110. ## Top Hastings law firms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews In three ChatGPT questions, Gifford Devine appeared in all three answers. Willis Legal was mentioned in two out of three: in two of the three ChatGPT answers. Gifford Devine was listed before Willis Legal in two out of three answers. 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 | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | DK Legal | 1st | 3 of 3 | 3 of 3 | | Bramwell Bate | 2nd | 3 of 3 | 3 of 3 | | Gifford Devine | 3rd | 3 of 3 | 3 of 3 | | Thrive Lawyers | 4th | 3 of 3 | 3 of 3 | | Willis Legal | 5th | 2 of 3 | 2 of 3 | | Luscombe Legal | 6th | 2 of 3 | 2 of 3 | | Gresson Grayson | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 3 | | Mansfield Law | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 3 | ## Every AI answer about Hastings law firms - Asked ChatGPT "Which law firm should I hire in Hastings, New Zealand?": 1. DK Legal, 2. Bramwell Bate, 3. Gifford Devine, 4. Willis Legal, 5. Thrive Lawyers, 6. Luscombe Legal - Asked ChatGPT "What are the best law firms in Hastings, New Zealand?": 1. DK Legal, 2. Bramwell Bate, 3. Thrive Lawyers, 4. Willis Legal, 5. Luscombe Legal, 6. Gifford Devine - Asked ChatGPT "What's the best law firm in Hastings, New Zealand for a legal problem?": 1. Gifford Devine, 2. Bramwell Bate, 3. DK Legal, 4. Thrive Lawyers Not named in any answer: Gresson Grayson and Mansfield 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 Hastings law firms in October 2026? - In October 2026, Gifford Devine lost share of searches among Hastings law firms in New Zealand, from 30.8% to 28%. - In October 2026, Willis Legal lost share of searches among Hastings law firms in New Zealand, from 15.4% to 14.7%. ## How has branded search for Gifford Devine and Willis Legal changed in New Zealand over the last 12 months? | Month | Gifford Devine estimated searches | Gifford Devine Share of Search | Gifford Devine rank | Willis Legal estimated searches | Willis Legal Share of Search | Willis Legal rank | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Nov 2025 | 380 | 35.8% | 1 | 140 | 13.2% | 4 | | Dec 2025 | 280 | 37.3% | 1 | 110 | 14.7% | 4 | | Jan 2026 | 280 | 33.7% | 1 | 110 | 13.3% | 4 | | Feb 2026 | 350 | 37.2% | 1 | 140 | 14.9% | 4 | | Mar 2026 | 380 | 36.9% | 1 | 140 | 13.6% | 4 | | Apr 2026 | 260 | 31.3% | 1 | 140 | 16.9% | 4 | | May 2026 | 300 | 39% | 1 | 110 | 14.3% | 4 | | Jun 2026 | 250 | 30.9% | 1 | 140 | 17.3% | 4 | | Jul 2026 | 280 | 35% | 1 | 140 | 17.5% | 4 | | Aug 2026 | 280 | 31.8% | 1 | 140 | 15.9% | 4 | | Sep 2026 | 280 | 30.8% | 1 | 140 | 15.4% | 4 | | Oct 2026 | 210 | 28% | 1 | 110 | 14.7% | 4 | ## How are Gifford Devine’s and Willis Legal’s branded searches counted? Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Gifford Devine’s and Willis Legal’s 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. - **Gifford Devine**: Measured on the search terms “gifford devine” and “gifford devine hastings”, summed into one figure. - **Willis Legal**: Measured on the search term “willis legal”. - [Gifford Devine profile](/demand/nz/brands/gifford-devine) - [Willis Legal profile](/demand/nz/brands/willis-legal) - [All Hastings law firms in New Zealand](/demand/nz/locations/hastings/law-firms): The set both shares are measured inside, 8 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 Gifford Devine or Willis Legal more popular in search? In October 2026, Gifford Devine had more branded searches than Willis Legal among Hastings law firms in New Zealand. Gifford Devine had about 210 branded searches, while Willis Legal had 110. Gifford Devine made up 28% of all Hastings law firm searches we track, and Willis Legal accounted for 14.7%. ## Cite this page Brandwave. "Gifford Devine vs Willis Legal: Which is more popular in New Zealand?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/compare/gifford-devine-vs-willis-legal This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/compare/gifford-devine-vs-willis-legal. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.