Open to Anyone in the Southeast Legal Community
Awards will go out to both solo practitioners/small firms and larger firms/corporate in-house legal departments that have made strides in innovation. This can include technology and communications, business or cultural innovations, including such improvements as renovations, remodels and consolidations, plus a firm’s use of social media. We are looking for firms that are tackling legal and/or business of law issues creatively, be that through technology, networking, design, communications or other areas.

This category recognizes lawyers who have helped less-experienced colleagues become better lawyers. The relationship between mentors and mentees need not be formal. Please submit an essay of up to 300 words that describes the mentor’s role and results.

This award recognizes lawyers who achieved impressive results in 2024 and demonstrated clear leadership skills that helped them achieve those results. Examples include—but are not limited to—leading a team that won a big case, helping a firm grow, managing a big deal or getting a key piece of legislation passed (or defeated).

Please submit an essay of up to 500 words that describes the leader’s role in achieving noteworthy results.

The Diversity Initiative award goes to a firm (any size) that has embraced diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Please submit a 500 word essay about why your organization or individual deserves this recognition.

This recognizes an in-house lawyer or legal professional who had a significant accomplishment in 2024. Please submit an essay of up to 500 words that should describe the nominee’s skills, strategies and results.

This award will go to the firm that has the best and most meritorious submissions across multiple categories, and we will aim to honor a Law Firm of the Year in each state represented in Southeastern Legal Awards.

The purpose of the award is to recognize Southeastern firms that have demonstrated a broad spectrum of achievements in the past year and talent depth in their respective states of Georgia, North and South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee.

We do not accept submissions for this particular category, but the finalists and winners will be selected by our editorial staff. To be a strong contender in this category, firms should enter submissions across multiple categories including (but not limited to): Attorney of the Year, Lifetime Achievers, Distinguished Leaders and/or On the Rise AND Mentors, Best Legal Innovation, Legal Innovators/Most Innovative Firm, Litigation Departments and/or Dealmakers categories.

This award seeks to honor innovative efforts by individual lawyers and legal professionals. Their innovation could be technology-oriented, but it doesn’t have to be. We want to hear about attorneys and legal professionals who have come up with game-changing ideas for their practices or organizations and who were then able to turn that vision into reality. Please submit an essay of up to 500 words describing this person.

This award honors anyone living who has left a lasting imprint on the Southeast legal community. Please submit up to 500 words explaining why a nominee meets these criteria.

These awards are open to all law firms with any-sized Southeastern presence. We would like you to submit matters led by Southeastern attorneys, but their cases could be litigated anywhere. We plan to name winners in each sub-category but, depending on the quality of the entries, multiple winners may be named in one group and none in another.

For General Litigation, please submit the following:

• Two client references, including phone numbers or email addresses.
• List four or five of your top litigation successes in which the result occurred in 2024. Limit description of each case to no more than 500 words.
  • Each result must have been achieved by lawyers while they were members of your firm based in a Southeastern office. Do not include results achieved by lateral hires when they were working for a different firm.
  • For each result, please include the names of clients, lead partners and opposing counsel, as well as contact information for all involved whenever possible.
  • Descriptions of results should include specific dollar amounts where relevant, but should focus on why the result demonstrates the excellence of your department. Unless otherwise marked, all information submitted will be considered on the record. If your client was represented by more than one firm, please specify your firm’s role.
• Briefly describe your firm’s biggest litigation loss in the past two years, with names of opposing counsel.
• Give a brief description of three upcoming matters for your firm.
• An essay of no more than 500 words explaining why your firm deserves the award. Factors we’re looking for are the importance and difficulty of the matters handled, the quality of opposing counsel, ingenuity and diligence. This is no place for false modesty!

These awards are open to all law firms with any-sized Southeastern presence. We would like you to submit matters led by Southeastern attorneys, but their cases could be litigated anywhere. We plan to name winners in each sub-category but, depending on the quality of the entries, multiple winners may be named in one group and none in another.

• Appellate
• Insurance
• Intellectual Property
• Labor and Employment
• Personal Injury
• Products Liability
• White Collar

For each sub-category, please submit the following:

• Two client references, including phone numbers or email addresses.
• List four or five of your top litigation successes in which the result occurred in 2024. Limit description of each case to no more than 500 words.
  • Each result must have been achieved by lawyers while they were members of your firm based in a Southeastern office. Do not include results achieved by lateral hires when they were working for a different firm.
  • For each result, please include the names of clients, lead partners and opposing counsel, as well as contact information for all involved whenever possible.
  • Descriptions of results should include specific dollar amounts where relevant, but should focus on why the result demonstrates the excellence of your department. Unless otherwise marked, all information submitted will be considered on the record. If your client was represented by more than one firm, please specify your firm’s role.
• Briefly describe your firm’s biggest litigation loss in the past two years, with names of opposing counsel.
• Give a brief description of three upcoming matters for your firm.
• An essay of no more than 500 words explaining why your firm deserves the award. Factors we’re looking for are the importance and difficulty of the matters handled, the quality of opposing counsel, ingenuity and diligence. This is no place for false modesty!

Leaders who have had a huge, impactful year, a year that stands out among their peers. We welcome nominations of managing partners of offices or firms based in the Southeastern region. Please submit an essay of up to 500 words that describes why this nominee deserves the recognition.

Quantity or dollar volume are not the only criteria. These deal-makers get repeat business for how they achieve their clients’ goals so that both sides sign on the dotted lines. Please submit an essay of up to 500 words that describes the nominee’s deal-making skills, strategies and results.

This award honors an individual in their first years as an attorney who has shown exceptional potential, work ethic, and legal acumen. We’re looking to recognize newly qualified lawyers who have made a major impact on their businesses, demonstrating the qualities necessary for them to quickly climb the career ladder. Nominations should demonstrate examples of leadership potential, initiative, contributions to the community, and any notable talents.

The Daily Report’s On The Rise program recognizes the Southeast’s most promising lawyers under the age of 40 as of the submission deadline. This year the Daily Report will be assisted in the selection process by a panel of esteemed lawyers. To qualify for the On the Rise award, the lawyers must work in the Southeast. They should be innovators, developing unique practice niches, amassing robust books of business, demonstrating strong leadership qualities, showing expertise in litigation or transactional work, and committing themselves to pro bono, charitable and professional volunteer work. Please submit an essay of up to 500 words, a high resolution color photo, and two references.