The initial impression from the home page is startling, especially after looking at dozens of the same law firm Web sites. Thacher Proffitt & Wood's Web site uses unique colors (something akin to rust on white) to accentuate the minimalist design, and the effect is outstanding. Inexplicably, the designers used a powder blue background for pages after the home page. Had they carried the home page design motif throughout, the site would have earned higher marks. The "Firm History" is a lengthy narrative of the firm, and it spans more than 160 years. Touches like this lend a sense of familiarity to a firm that they might not otherwise have. Under "What's New," the firm does a good job of showcasing where they've been talked about, where they've published, etc. But it needs to be updated more frequently. While we'd like to see the firm publish their newsletters online, they do seem to have an impressive catalog of back issues that may be of interest to visitors.