Entry criteria for The British Legal Awards 2009

1. City of London Law Society Lifetime Achievement Award

Entry Criteria
The winner of this award is chosen by the City of London Law Society.

2. Law Firm of the Year
We are not taking entries for this award. Legal Week will draw up a list of finalists based on a wide range of data and research drawn from a variety of sources. A key source will be the series of independent reports produced by Legal Week’s research arm, Legal Week Intelligence. These reports provide a comprehensive analysis of client and employee satisfaction at the leading UK and international law firms. They also measure the effectiveness of graduate recruitment and IT deployment. Legal Week’s editorial team will also consult the judging panel as well as the wider in-house community via Legal Week’s LinkedIn group. The research will be presented to the judges who will choose the winner.

Key criteria:
Legal expertise and innovation
Strategic vision
Business winning
Client care
Employee development
A commitment to diversity and corporate social responsibility
Sustainable improvements in financial performance

3. CSR Initiative/Programme of the Year

Eligibility
Open to commercial law firms, legal departments and chambers that have significant operations in the UK (more than 20 partners in the case of law firms).

Entry Criteria
The judges will be looking for a project that has effectively delivered its corporate and social responsibility objectives. This could be an international, national or local project and should demonstrate a coherent and integrated approach to the practical demonstration of CSR policies in action, and how the CSR project is aligned with the firm, company or chambers’ strategic goals.

>> Submit your entry for CSR Initiative/Programme of the Year

UK section – for firms and offices based in the UK

4. London Office of the Year

Eligibility
Open to the London offices of international law firms that are not headquartered in the UK

Entry Criteria
Entries must convince the judges that they are not only leaders in their chosen markets, but that they have made significant progress over the past 12-18 months.

The judges will expect to see evidence of:
- Legal expertise and innovation
- Strategic vision
- Business winning
- Client care
- Employee development
- A commitment to diversity and corporate social responsibility
- Sustainable improvements in financial performance

The entry submission should highlight deals, cases, client wins and initiatives that best exemplify the office's performance. Objective data and research that support your case will be looked on favourably by the judges. Please note that the judges will have access to the findings of Legal Week Intelligence’s client satisfaction and employee satisfaction reports, including individual law firm profiles, where relevant.

>> Submit your entry for London Office of the Year

5. Regional Law Firm of the Year

Eligibility
Open to UK commercial law firms that are based outside London.

Entry Criteria
Entries must convince the judges that they are not only leaders in their chosen markets, but that they have made significant progress over the past 12-18 months.

The judges will expect to see evidence of:
- Legal expertise and innovation
- Strategic vision
- Business winning
- Client care
- Employee development
- A commitment to diversity and corporate social responsibility
- Sustainable improvements in financial performance

The entry submission should highlight deals, cases, client wins and initiatives that best exemplify the firm’s performance. Objective data and research that support your case will be looked on favourably by the judges. Please note that the judges will have access to the findings of Legal Week Intelligence’s client satisfaction and employee satisfaction reports, including individual law firm profiles where relevant.

>> Submit your entry for Regional Law Firm of the Year

6. Chambers of the Year

Eligibility
Open to sets of chambers that specialise in business law.

Entry Criteria
Entries must convince the judges that they are not only leaders in their chosen markets, but that they have made significant progress over the past 12-18 months.

The judges will expect to see evidence of:

- Legal expertise and innovation
- Strategic vision
- Business winning
- Client care
- A commitment to diversity and corporate social responsibility

The entry submission should highlight cases, client wins and initiatives that best exemplify the chambers’ performance over the last 12-18 months.

>> Submit your entry for Chambers of the Year

7. Managing/Senior Partner of the Year

Eligibility
Open to the managing partners, senior partners and chief executives of commercial law firms who are based in the UK.

Entry Criteria
Depending on the entrant's precise role, the judges will expect to see evidence of:
- Leadership – both within the firm and the profession
- Strategic vision
- Client care
- A commitment to diversity and corporate social responsibility
- Contribution to the wider community

The entry submission should highlight concrete – and preferably measurable - ways in which the entrant has contributed to the success of the firm.

>> Submit your entry for Managing/Senior Partner of the Year

8. Assistant Solicitor/Associate of the Year

Eligibility
Open to UK-based assistant solicitors and associates.

Entry Criteria
Judges will be looking for evidence of:
- Leadership potential within and outside the law firm
- Legal skills
- Initiative
- Client relationship skills

The entry submission should highlight concrete – and preferably measurable - ways in which the entrant has contributed to the success of the firm.

>> Submit your entry for Assistant Solicitor/Associate of the Year

9. Law firm Innovation Award – NEW

Eligibility
Open to UK-based law firms and the UK offices of international firms.

Entry Criteria
This is a new award that seeks to identify a project that genuinely breaks new ground in the delivery of legal services. This could be a client-facing project or one that transforms a key element of the firm’s culture or performance. It could involve individual teams – such as business development, finance or human resources – or it could span a number of departments. The entry should clearly set out the project’s goals and provide hard evidence that these have been achieved.

>> Submit your entry for Law Firm Innovation Award

10. M&A Team of the Year

Eligibility
Open to UK-based M&A teams.
NB. Law firms are restricted to one entry.

Entry Criteria
Entries for this award should focus on a single deal that sets new standards in the delivery of legal services in this practice area and demonstrates the firm’s market-leading position.

The judges will be looking for evidence of:
- Legal expertise and innovation
- Project management skills
- Team working
- Client satisfaction

>> Submit your entry for M&A Team of the Year

11. Banking, Finance or Restructuring team of the Year

Eligibility
Open to specialist UK-based teams working in the banking and restructuring arena. Typical disciplines will include loans, acquisition finance and insolvency.
NB. Law firms are restricted to one entry.

Entry Criteria
Entries for this award should focus on a single deal that sets new standards in the delivery of legal services in this practice area and demonstrates the firm’s market-leading position.

The judges will be looking for evidence of:
- Legal expertise and innovation
- Project management skills
- Team working
- Client satisfaction

>> Submit your entry for Banking, Finance or Restructuring Team of the Year

12. Commercial Team of the Year

Eligibility
Open to specialist UK-based commercial teams. Typical disciplines will include employment, pensions, outsourcing and tax.
NB. Law firms are restricted to one entry.

Entry Criteria
Entries for this award should focus on a single instruction, case or deal that sets new standards in the delivery of legal services in this practice area and demonstrates the firm’s market-leading position.

The judges will be looking for evidence of:
- Legal expertise and innovation
- Project management skills
- Team working
- Client satisfaction

>> Submit your entry for Commercial Team of the Year

13. Litigation and Regulatory Team of the Year

Eligibility
Open to specialist UK-based litigation and regulatory teams. Typical disciplines will include commercial litigation, arbitration and regulatory law.
NB. Law firms are restricted to one entry.

Entry Criteria
Entries for this award should focus on a single case that sets new standards in the delivery of legal services in this practice area and demonstrates the firm’s market-leading position.

The judges will be looking for evidence of:
- Legal expertise and innovation
- Project management skills
- Team working
- Client satisfaction

>> Submit your entry for Litigation and Regulatory Team of the Year

14. Property Team of the Year

Eligibility
Open to specialist UK-based property teams. Typical disciplines will include property transactions, large-scale developments, property finance, funds and planning. Each submission should focus on a clearly-defined area of work.
NB. Law firms are restricted to one entry.

Entry Criteria
Entries for this award should focus on a single case that sets new standards in the delivery of legal services in this practice area and demonstrates the firm’s market-leading position.

The judges will be looking for evidence of:
- Legal expertise and innovation
- Project management skills
- Team working
- Client satisfaction

>> Submit your entry for Property Team of the Year

15. Private Client/Family Team of the Year

Eligibility
Open to specialist UK-based private client and (high net worth) family teams. NB. Law firms are restricted to one entry.

Entry Criteria
Entries should cover the work of a department or team over the past 12-18 months and seek to demonstrate that it is not only a market leader but that it has made significant progress over the past 12-18 months.

The judges will be looking for evidence of:
- Legal expertise and innovation
- Business-winning
- Client care
- Employee development
- Team working

Where possible, the entry submission should highlight instructions, client wins and initiatives that best exemplify the team’s performance.

>> Submit your entry for Private Client/Family Team of the Year

International section

16. European Law Firm of the Year - NEW

Eligibility
Open to European commercial law firms that are not headquartered in the UK.

Entry Criteria
Entries must convince the judges that they are not only leaders in their chosen markets, but that they have made significant progress over the past 12-18 months.

The judges will expect to see evidence of:
- Legal expertise and innovation
- Strategic vision
- Business winning
- Client care
- Employee development
- A commitment to diversity and corporate social responsibility
- Sustainable improvements in financial performance

The entry submission should highlight deals, cases, client wins and initiatives that best exemplify the firm’s performance.

>> Submit your entry for European Law Firm of the Year

17. European Managing Partner/Senior Partner of the Year - NEW

Eligibility
Open to the managing partners, senior partners and chief executives of European commercial law firms that are not headquartered in the UK.

Entry Criteria
Depending on the entrants’ precise role, the judges will expect to see evidence of:
- Leadership – both within the firm and the profession
- Strategic vision
- Client care
- A commitment to diversity and corporate social responsibility
- Contribution to the wider community

The entry submission should highlight concrete – and preferably measurable - ways in which the entrant has contributed to the success of the firm.

>> Submit your entry for European Managing Partner/Senior Partner of the Year

18. European Legal Team of the Year - NEW

Eligibility
Open to European external counsel based outside the UK and who worked on non-UK deals or cases. These can be multi-disciplinary teams (eg corporate and tax) or teams focused on a single practice area (eg litigation). This category is open to teams working out of UK or US law firms and teams that encompass a number of law firms (eg working on cross-border M&A deal).

Entry Criteria
Entries for this award should focus on a single deal or case that sets new standards in the delivery of legal services in this practice area and demonstrates the firm or firms’ market-leading position/s.

The judges will be looking for evidence of:
- Legal expertise and innovation
- Project management skills
- Team working
- Client satisfaction

>> Submit your entry for European Legal Team of the Year

19. Middle East and African Law Firm of the Year - NEW
Eligibility Open to commercial law firms headquartered in the Middle East or Africa.

Entry Criteria
Entries must convince the judges that they are not only leaders in their chosen markets, but that they have made significant progress over the past 12-18 months.

The judges will expect to see evidence of:
- Legal expertise and innovation
- Strategic vision
- Business winning
- Client care
- Employee development
- A commitment to diversity and corporate social responsibility
- Sustainable improvements in financial performance

The entry submission should highlight deals, cases, client wins and initiatives that best exemplify the firm’s performance

>> Submit your entry for Middle East and African Law Firm of the Year

20. Offshore Law Firm of the Year

Eligibility
Open to offshore law firms.

Entry Criteria
Entries must convince the judges that they are not only leaders in their chosen markets, but that they have made significant progress over the past 12-18 months.

The judges will expect to see evidence of:
- Legal expertise and innovation
- Strategic vision
- Business winning
- Client care
- Employee development
- A commitment to diversity and corporate social responsibility
- Sustainable improvements in financial performance

The entry submission should highlight deals, cases, client wins and initiatives that best exemplify the firm’s performance.

>> Submit your entry for Offshore Law Firm of the Year

In-house Awards

21. Legal Department of the Year

Eligibility

Open to company in-house legal departments that are based in the UK.

Entry Criteria
The judges will expect to see evidence of:
- Legal expertise and innovation
- Strategic vision
- Team working
- Client care
- Employee development
- A commitment to diversity and corporate social responsibility

The entry submission should highlight work and initiatives that best exemplify the department’s performance.

>> Submit your entry for Legal Department of the Year

22. General Counsel of the Year

Eligibility
Open to general counsel or legal department heads who are based in the UK.

Entry Criteria
The judges will expect to see evidence of:
- Leadership
- Strategic vision
- Troubleshooting and legal skills
- A commitment to diversity and corporate social responsibility

The entry submission should highlight concrete – and preferably measurable - ways in which the entrant has contributed to the success of his or her company.

>> Submit your entry for General Counsel of the Year

23. Young In-house Lawyer of the Year

Eligibility
Open to in house lawyers with up to 15 years’ post qualification experience.

Entry Criteria
Judges will be looking for evidence of:
- Leadership potential within and outside the company
- Legal skills
- Initiative
- Client relationship skills

The entry submission should highlight concrete – and preferably measurable - ways in which the entrant has contributed to the success of the company.

>> Submit your entry for Young In-House Lawyer of the Year

24. In-house Award for innovation - NEW

Eligibility
Open to company in-house legal departments in that are based in the UK.

Entry Criteria
This is a new award that seeks to identify a project that genuinely breaks new ground in the delivery of legal services. This could be a supplier-focused project or one that transforms a key element of the department’s culture or performance. It could be largely restricted to the legal department, or it could span several company departments. The entry should clearly set out the project’s goals and provide hard evidence that these have been achieved.

>> Submit your entry for In-house Award for Innovation

Technology Awards

25. Best Use of Technology

Eligibility
Open to commercial law firms, legal departments and chambers that have significant operations in the UK (more than 20 partners in the case of law firms).

Entry Criteria
The judges will be looking for a project that has played a critical role in the improvement of the performance of a firm, department or chambers. The judges will look favourably upon imaginative, well-executed projects that are delivered on time and within budget. The entry submission should include evidence of the benefits that the project has brought to the firm or legal department.

>> Submit your entry for Best Use of Technology

26. Technology Provider of the Year - NEW

Eligibility
Open to IT suppliers to commercial law firms, legal departments and chambers that have significant operations in the UK (more than 20 partners in the case of law firms).

Entry Criteria
This new award recognises the contribution IT suppliers make to improving the delivery of legal services. The winner will be a supplier of hardware, software and/or IT services that has achieved significant business success in the past 12 months and can demonstrate high levels of customer satisfaction from the users of its products and services.

The judges will be looking for evidence of:
- Expertise and professionalism
- Client care
- Employee satisfaction
- Measurable success
- Thought leadership

>> Submit your entry for Technology Provider of the Year