CATEGORY GUIDELINES
The specialist law firm of the year award will be given to a firm of any size which focuses exclusively, or predominantly, on one practice area or sector.
The awards are judging performance broadly from April 2023 to present day; this means that the bulk of work and any achievements listed within the entry must have been carried out within this time period (please note it is not essential that a project or case has both launched and closed within this time period).
Winning firms will be able to demonstrate that they have had an exceptional year, managing the pressures of the economic environment while maintaining high levels of client service. Firms should be able to show that they have developed or progressed their strategic vision during the year – this may be through lateral recruitment or acquisitions, the opening of new offices or the forging of new alliances. Evidence of programmes which recognise diversity, social mobility and employee retention is encouraged.
To enter you must complete the entry form on the online entry portal.
Don’t forget, you can log-in and out of the entry portal as many times as you like prior to submitting.
WHAT WILL THE JUDGES BE LOOKING FOR IN THIS CATEGORY?
The entry form covers the following areas:
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Context and positioning (500 words)
- Our judges will be looking for indications of how well your firm is performing in your particular market, evidenced by client growth / retention and other business successes, and how you have overcome any competitive challenges presented by your market. Some judges may not be as familiar with your firm so please give a concise description of where you are, where you’ve come from and its structure, but remember to focus on achievements and figures from June 2023 onwards
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Strategy and execution (750 words)
- Our judges will be looking for examples of how your firm stands out in its market – what differentiates you from your competition and what actions have you taken or investments have you made in technology, talent and more to ensure you remain a leading player? Where do you excel, and what makes you best able to serve your clients?
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Success (500 words)
- Our judges will want to understand how you define success, and how you currently measure up against that definition. It’s really important that you include evidence of financial performance here; you can include this in the CONFIDENTIAL SECTION at the end of the form if you want this information to be treated for judges’ eyes only
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Additional materials
- You should use this section to upload any client testimonials that add weight to your entry, and any charts or other visual aids that illustrate your work.
There is a confidential information section on the form: We fully appreciate that some of the information you include in your entry may be sensitive. We want to encourage you to submit as much detail as possible, including financial performance, therefore please include in this section any sensitive information that should be treated for judges’ eyes only.
Previous winners:
2023 – Habraken Rutten
2022 – Littler
2021 – Masouros and Partners
2020 – VANDENBULKE
2019 – ECIJA
2018 – Maruta Wachta
2017 – Grau & Angulo
2016 – betto seraglini
2015 – Sagardoy Abogados
2014 – Lexellent
Entries are welcome from:
Independent law firms in Europe (including UK firms working with European clients and / or in a European jurisdiction) which have a clear specialism.
Firms headquartered outside Europe, or those which are branded members of an international alliance, are excluded.
General points to remember:
• The more detail you provide, the more likely your entry is to be highly ranked by our independent judges
• Client testimonials add extra weight to your entry – please provide them during the online entry process
• Please ensure you indicate clearly on your entry where information is confidential; the content of entries is for judges’ eyes only, however details given in your submission may be used in the shortlist announcement and the post-event editorial coverage when not marked otherwise
• Entries covering work outside of the dates given (April 2023 – present day) will not be considered