Entry instructions and criteria
ENTRY DEADLINE: FRIDAY 6 SEPTEMBER 2013
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Advice to entrants
The British Legal Awards 2012: who won what - and why... click here
Eligibility
Anyone can submit an entry, as long as they or the firm/company they are entering meet the criteria for the relevant category.
For most team awards the entries are required to focus on a single deal or case over the past 12-18 months.
Covering Statement - and evidence
Your 1,000 word statement is your entry. It must ‘tell the story' while also seeking to cover the specific criteria as set out in each category. You may either upload your entry into the text box provided, or upload it as an attachment (in which case please indicate in the text box that your entry has been attached).
The weakest part of many entries last year was the failure to include clear evidence of achievement or explanation of why the achievement was significant or innovative. The judges will be harsh on entries that do not include clear statements of objectives and targets supported by evidence that these targets were reached. For example, if business growth is the target, achievement of it should be demonstrated in measurable terms.
All the information contained in the entries that is marked confidential will remain so, and will not be released without the permission of the entrant.
Supporting Material
There is a strict limit of one piece of supporting material per entry. It is not obligatory to include supporting material - indeed it could count against you if the material is not pertinent to the entry. If you do include such material (which must be in digital form) please refer to it in your covering statement.
Entry Criteria
City of London Law Society Lifetime Achievement Award
Entry Criteria
The winner of this award is chosen by the City of London Law Society.
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.
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
Editor's award: Managing/Senior Partner of the Year
The winner of this award is chosen by the editor of Legal Week.
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.
Chambers of the Year
Eligibility
Open to sets of chambers whose practices cover the fields of commercial, Chancery and other business-related areas of 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.
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.
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.
In-house Award for Innovation
Eligibility
Open to company in-house legal departments in that are based in the UK.
Entry Criteria
This award 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.
Law Firm Innovation Award
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.
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.
Diversity Initiative/Programme of the Year
This is a new award that seeks to highlight the work many law firms are undertaking to improve the diversity of their workforce. The judges will be looking for a project or initiative that has clear and measurable objectives. The best entries will explain how the project was conceived and subsequently delivered. The judges will be looking for hard evidence that the project or initiative in question is meeting or has met its objectives.
Legal Counsel of the Year
Eligibility
Open to UK-based in-house lawyers in the role of 'legal counsel' or an equivalent job title.
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.
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.
M&A Team of the Year
Eligibility
Open to UK-based M&A teams.
N.B. 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
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.
N.B. 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
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.
N.B. 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
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.
N.B. 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
Private Client/Family Team of the Year
Eligibility
Open to specialist private client and family teams based in the UK and offshore UK territories.
N.B. 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.
TMT Team of the Year
Eligibility
Open to specialist UK-based TMT teams.
N.B. Law firms are restricted to one entry.
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's market-leading position.
The judges will be looking for evidence of:
- Legal expertise and innovation
- Business-winning
- Client care
- Employee development
- Team working
Commercial Team of the Year
Eligibility
Open to specialist UK-based commercial teams. Typical disciplines will include employment, pensions, outsourcing and tax.
N.B. 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
Education and Training Initiative of the Year
Eligibility
Open to UK-based law firms, legal departments and chambers as well 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 training and education. The judges will look favourably upon imaginative, well-executed projects that demonstrably contribute towards the achievement of the firm, department or chambers' strategy. The entry submission should include hard evidence of the benefits that the project has generated.
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.
Supplier of the Year
Eligibility
Open to all suppliers of products and/or services to commercial law firms, legal departments and chambers that have significant operations in the UK.
Entry Criteria
This new award recognises the contribution suppliers make to improving the delivery of legal services. Examples of suppliers eligible to enter this category include IT vendors and consultants, management consultants, training companies, PR firms and printers.
Entries for this award should focus on a single project that exemplifies the quality of the product or service being supplied.
The judges will be looking for evidence of:
- Expertise and professionalism
- Innovation
- Value for money
- Customer care and satisfaction
- Measurable success
International Awards
European Law Firm of the Year
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.
European Legal Team of the Year
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
Off-shore Law Firm of the Year
Open to off-shore law firms.
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.
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.
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