Johnnie Cochran -- O..J. Simpson's famous lawyer -- died four years ago, but remains a powerful brand for his law firm.

The massive visage of legendary defense attorney Johnnie Cochran has been gazing down from Twin Cities billboards in recent days.

They're advertising his firm's recent arrival in the metro area.

But if you harbor hopes of having your legal case handled by the lawyer who most famously won the acquittal of O. J. Simpson, there's one problem: Cochran has been dead for nearly four years.

The departed Cochran remains a powerful brand for his law firm, which has expanded into 28 offices in 18 states from its original Los Angeles base.

"It's absolutely a branding thing for us," said James Rolshouse, who is lead attorney in the firm. "If I move into a market and try to brand Jim Rolshouse, it'd be a waste of money."

And, he added, it's not misleading just because the firm's founder is dead. "It's still the Cochran law firm," Rolshouse said.

There's nothing subtle about the billboards. "INJURED?" one screams in bright red letters, adding that the firm has "aggressive personal injury attorneys."

Locally, the firm opened offices in Burnsville and downtown Minneapolis late last year. Six attorneys work for it.

The billboards have been up for just a couple of days. Eventually about 45 will be erected around the Twin Cities, Rolshouse said.

The billboard rollout follows a few local radio and TV ads.

Cochran was 67 when he died of an inoperable brain tumor in 2005.