For years, AXS Law Group co-founder Jeff Gutchess was advised that he needed to specialize, and that “clients don't like South Beach cool guys.” But he never heeded that advice.

His new firm, surrounded by the artsy, graffiti-covered warehouses of the nontraditional-for-a-law-firm Miami neighborhood called Wynwood, is part of his bet that there are clients who want a new kind of firm. At a time when many law firms are struggling and grappling with how to attract and retain clients, AXS Law Group is branding itself as an edgy kind of different.

After settling a large case in early 2016, Gutchess and two friends—fellow founding partners Ben Wolkov and Jeremy Ben-David—decided to move on a dream to start a less traditional firm branded with an urban-edge style, life-balance philosophy, less specialization and big on alternative fee structures. As an ancillary benefit, they see the model appealing to millennials, who they expect will become valuable clients over the next decade.