The British Legal Awards Categories
(Click individual category to expand and see criteria.)
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
- There is a strict limit of one entry per category
- The word limit is 800 words (we will allow 10% leeway)
- All submissions must be made via the portal, no pdf uploads will be allowed, including supporting material
- There is a £250 entry fee for private practice, you can pay this here. You can enter as many categories as you like under one fee.
Teams of the Year
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 be looking for evidence of:
- Legal expertise and innovation
- Strategic vision
- Business winning
- Client care (including measures relating to efficiency & cost effectiveness of service delivery
- Employee development
- Sustainable improvements in financial performance
- A commitment to CSR
The submission should highlight deals, cases, client wins and initiatives that best exemplify the firm's performance. Objective data and research that support the entry will be looked on favourably by the judges.
Please include the following information:
- Firm profile - provide a brief overview of your firm’s practice, including its size, history, number of offices and key practice areas.
- Strategy and milestones - outline your firm’s strategy: include goals and key milestones. With reference to your strategy, please provide evidence that it is succeeding, including financial data, flagship deals, client wins and other relevant developments eg. partner hires, investment in new technology, client feedback programmes etc.
- How is your firm excelling in the fields of employee development and CSR?
Open to UK-based banking and finance teams. Law firms are restricted to one entry.
Entry criteria
Entries for this award should focus on a single banking or finance deal that has a significant UK element to it and that sets new standards in the delivery of legal services, thereby demonstrating the firm’s market-leading position. They should summarise the deal’s key features, explain its significance and outline the team’s role.
The judges will be looking for evidence of:
- Legal expertise and innovation
- Project management skills
- Teamwork
- Client satisfaction and value for money
Please include the following information:
- Describe the deal and why it was important.
- What was your team’s role on the deal or case, include details of team members and lead lawyer and explain why your team excelled against the following criteria: legal expertise and innovation, project management skills and team working.
- Provide evidence of client satisfaction and the ‘value’ your team brought to the table. What difference did the team make?
Open to UK-based ECM teams. Law firms are restricted to one entry.
Entry criteria
Entries for this award should focus on a single piece of work in the field of competition or regulation that has a significant UK element to it and that sets new standards in the delivery of legal services, thereby demonstrating the firm’s market-leading position. They should summarise the key features of what was involved, explain its significance and outline the team’s role.
The judges will be looking for evidence of:
- Legal expertise and innovation
- Project management skills
- Teamwork
- Client satisfaction and value for money
Please include the following information:
- Describe the transaction and why it was important.
- What was your team’s role on the deal or case, include details of team members and lead lawyer and explain why your team excelled against the following criteria: legal expertise and innovation, project management skills and team working.
- Provide evidence of client satisfaction and the ‘value’ your team brought to the table. What difference did the team make?
Open to UK-based litigation and dispute resolution teams. Law firms are restricted to one entry.
Entry criteria
Entries for this award should focus on a single case that has a significant UK element to it and that sets new standards in the delivery of legal services, thereby demonstrating the firm’s market-leading position. They should summarise the case's key features, explain its significance and outline the team’s role.
The judges will be looking for evidence of:
- Legal expertise and innovation
- Project management skills
- Teamwork
- Client satisfaction and value for money
Please include the following information:
- Describe the case and why it was important.
- What was your team’s role on the case, include details of team members and lead lawyer and explain why your team excelled against the following criteria: legal expertise and innovation, project management skills and team working.
- Provide evidence of client satisfaction and the ‘value’ your team brought to the table. What difference did the team make?
Eligibility
Open to UK-based corporate teams. Law firms are restricted to one entry.
Entry criteria
Entries for this award should focus on a single corporate, M&A, capital markets or restructuring deal that has a significant UK element to it and that sets new standards in the delivery of legal services, thereby demonstrating the firm’s market-leading position. They should summarise the deal’s key features, explain its significance and outline the team’s role.
The judges will be looking for evidence of:
- Legal expertise and innovation
- Project management skills
- Teamwork
- Client satisfaction and value for money
- Describe the deal and why it was important.
- What was your team’s role on the deal or case, include details of team members and lead lawyer and explain why your team excelled against the following criteria: legal expertise and innovation, project management skills and team working.
- Provide evidence of client satisfaction and the ‘value’ your team brought to the table. What difference did the team make?
Open to both UK and international based private client teams. The international teams do not need to be headquartered in the UK but should have substantial operations in the UK, therefore demonstrating their commitment to the British legal market.
Entry criteria
Entries for this award should focus on a single case or project that has a significant UK element to it and that sets new standards in the delivery of legal services, thereby demonstrating the firm’s market-leading position. They should summarise the case or project’s key features, explain its significance and outline the team’s role.
The judges will be looking for evidence of:
- Legal expertise and innovation
- Project management skills
- Teamwork
- Client satisfaction and value for money
Please include the following information:
- Describe case or project and why it was important.
- Explain why your team excelled against the following criteria: legal expertise and innovation, project management skills and team working.
- Provide evidence of client satisfaction and the ‘value’ your team brought to the table. What difference did the team make?
Open to UK-based private equity teams. Law firms are restricted to one entry.
Entry criteria
Entries for this award should focus on a private equity deal or fundraising/secondaries transaction that has a significant UK element to it and that sets new standards in the delivery of legal services, thereby demonstrating the firm’s market-leading position. They should summarise the deal’s key features, explain its significance and outline the team’s role.
The judges will be looking for evidence of:
- Legal expertise and innovation
- Project management skills
- Team working
- Client satisfaction and value for money
Please include the following information:
- Describe the deal/transaction and why it was important.
- What was your team’s role on the deal, include details of team members and lead lawyer and explain why your team excelled against the following criteria: legal expertise and innovation, project management skills and team working.
- Provide evidence of client satisfaction and the ‘value’ your team brought to the table. What difference did the team make?
Open to UK-based property teams. Law firms are restricted to one entry.
Entry criteria
Entries for this award should focus on a single property deal that has a significant UK element to it and that sets new standards in the delivery of legal services, thereby demonstrating the firm’s market-leading position. They should summarise the deal’s key features, explain its significance and outline the team’s role.
The judges will be looking for evidence of:
- Legal expertise and innovation
- Project management skills
- Teamwork
- Client satisfaction and value for money
Please include the following information:
- Describe the deal and why it was important.
- What was your team’s role on the deal or case, include details of team members and lead lawyer and explain why your team excelled against the following criteria: legal expertise and innovation, project management skills and team working.
- Provide evidence of client satisfaction and the ‘value’ your team brought to the table. What difference did the team make?
Open to TMT teams. Law firms are restricted to one entry.
Entry criteria
Entries for this award should focus on a single deal or case that has a significant UK element to it and that sets new standards in the delivery of legal services, thereby demonstrating the firm’s market-leading position. They should summarise the deal’s key features, explain its significance and outline the team’s role.
The judges will be looking for evidence of:
- Legal expertise and innovation
- Project management skills
- Teamwork
- Client satisfaction and value for money
Please include the following information:
- Describe the deal or case and why it was important.
- What was your team’s role on the deal or case, include details of team members and lead lawyer and explain why your team excelled against the following criteria: legal expertise and innovation, project management skills and team working.
- Provide evidence of client satisfaction and the ‘value’ your team brought to the table. What difference did the team make?
Firms of the Year
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 (including measures relating to efficiency and cost effectiveness of service delivery)
- Employee development
- Sustainable improvements in financial performance
- A commitment to CSR
The submission should highlight deals, cases, client wins and initiatives that best exemplify the firm's performance. Objective data and research that support the entry will be looked on favourably by the judges.
Please include the following information:
- Provide a brief overview of your firm, including its size, history, number of offices and key practice areas.
- Outline your firm’s strategy: include goals and key milestones. With reference to this strategy, please provide evidence that it is succeeding, including financial data, flagship deals, client wins and other relevant developments eg. partner hires, investment in new technology, client feedback programmes etc.
- How is your firm excelling in the fields of employee development and CSR?
Open to UK-based Chambers whose work during the period covered by these awards puts them at the pinnacle of the profession.
Entry Criteria
The judges will be looking for evidence of:
- technical expertise
- integrity
- advocacy skills
- team working
- a commitment to diversity and contributing to the wider community
- client satisfaction
- Name of Chambers, brief details of the Chambers including size and history
- The Chambers achievements this year. Explain why this has been an exceptional year for the Chambers. Which cases did the Chambers work on, did it bring in new clients? Provide evidence of case wins and client satisfaction. What efforts did the Chambers make regarding improving its diversity and inclusion? What did the Chambers achieve in CSR work?
Entry criteria
Entries must focus on the firm’s UK practice and 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:
The submission should highlight deals, cases, client wins and initiatives that best exemplify the firm's performance in the UK. Objective data and research that support the entry will be looked on favourably by the judges.
- Provide a brief overview of your firm, including its size, history, the size of its UK office, number of offices in total and key practice areas.
- Outline your firm’s strategy: include goals and key milestones. With reference to this strategy, please provide evidence that it is succeeding, including financial data, flagship deals, client wins and other relevant developments eg. partner hires, investment in new technology, client feedback programmes etc.
- How is your firm excelling in the fields of employee development and CSR?
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 (including measures relating to efficiency and cost effectiveness of service delivery)
- Employee development
- Sustainable improvements in financial performance
- A commitment to CSR
The submission should highlight deals, cases, client wins and initiatives that best exemplify the firm's performance. Objective data and research that support the entry will be looked on favourably by the judges.
Please include the following information:
- Provide a brief overview of your firm, including its size, history, number of offices and key practice areas.
- Outline your firm’s strategy: include goals and key milestones. With reference to this strategy, please provide evidence that it is succeeding, including financial data, flagship deals, client wins and other relevant developments eg. partner hires, investment in new technology, client feedback programmes etc.
- How is your firm excelling in the fields of employee development and CSR?
Individual Awards
Eligibility
Entries can come from all corners of the legal profession, whether it be a law firm, in-house legal department, government, public interest, education, alternative legal service providers, etc. They should be nearing the end of their career.
Entry Criteria
The distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award will honor those professionals who have left an indelible mark on the legal profession through their substantive area of work as well as a strong public service component, whether that be through government work, diversity and inclusion efforts or some other form of public service. This is an elite award and the bar is set high.
Materials required
No more than one page or describing why this individual deserves this highly selective honor. Describe their work and public service and how it has left a mark on the profession.
Eligibility
This award goes beyond success in their practice, but rather honours a lawyer who has perhaps changed an area of law, reshaped their institution or an industry, accomplished something of great public service or otherwise made a lasting impact.
Materials required
Please submit no more than one page describing why this individual is deserving of the esteemed honor, giving detailed explanations of how they had such a significant impact in the last year.
This award sets out to identify recognise exceptional lawyers with under 10 years PQE.
Entry criteria
The judges will be looking for evidence of:
- Troubleshooting and legal skills
- Client satisfaction
- Leadership
- Strategic vision
- Contribution to the wider community
The submission should highlight concrete - and preferably measurable - ways in which the entrant has contributed to the success of his or her firm/company.
Please include the following information:
- Role - describe your role, number of years of post-qualification experience and areas of responsibility.
- Achievements - how have you excelled in your role? You should provide evidence of your leadership ability, strategic vision, troubleshooting and legal skills, client satisfaction and contribution to the success of the business and the wider community.
- Feedback - provide one written reference from an executive from within your firm/company.
Team Awards
Open to UK-based in-house legal departments.
Entry criteria
The judges will expect to see evidence of:
- Legal expertise and innovation
- Strategic vision
- Teamwork
- Client satisfaction
- Employee development
- Contribution to the success of the business
- Efficiency
Please include the following information:
- Briefly describe your company and outline the areas of responsibility of the legal department (include business units and regions).
- How many lawyers does the department employ and how is the team structured?
- How has your department excelled across the full spectrum of in-house responsibilities? You should provide evidence of: legal expertise and innovation; strategic vision; teamwork; client satisfaction; employee development; contribution to the success of the business; and efficiency. Be sure to give concrete examples of how you have helped your company achieve its strategic objectives.
- Feedback: provide one written reference from an executive from within your company.
Individual Awards
Open to General Counsel and Chief Legal Officers. Only one entry is permitted for each firm/company.
Entry criteria:
This award recognises General Counsel who, through their effective leadership, had significant accomplishments this past year. As just a few examples, such accomplishments may include growing the legal department’s head count or expanding the scope of its duties; significantly reducing legal spend or successfully completing a major undertaking such as a corporate merger or acquisition. We’re looking for dynamic leaders who have partnered with their companies and with their outside counsel to find ways to add value and to transform their legal departments from cost centers to business units.
The judges will be looking for evidence of:
- Troubleshooting and legal skills
- Client satisfaction
- Leadership
- Strategic vision
- Contribution to the wider community
The submission should highlight concrete - and preferably measurable - ways in which the entrant has contributed to the success of his or her firm/company.
Please include the following information:
- Role - describe your role, number of years of experience and areas of responsibility.
- Achievements - how have you excelled in your role? You should provide evidence of your leadership ability, strategic vision, troubleshooting and legal skills, client satisfaction and contribution to the success of the business and the wider community. Feedback - provide one written reference from an executive from within your firm/company.
Eligibility
Entries can come from all corners of the legal profession, whether it be a law firm, in-house legal department, government, public interest, education, alternative legal service providers, etc. They should be nearing the end of their career.
Entry Criteria
The distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award will honor those professionals who have left an indelible mark on the legal profession through their substantive area of work as well as a strong public service component, whether that be through government work, diversity and inclusion efforts or some other form of public service. This is an elite award and the bar is set high.
Materials required
No more than one page or describing why this individual deserves this highly selective honor. Describe their work and public service and how it has left a mark on the profession.
This award sets out to identify the GCs of tomorrow and is open to lawyers with under 10 years PQE.
Entry criteria:
The judges will be looking for evidence of:
- Troubleshooting and legal skills
- Client satisfaction
- Leadership
- Strategic vision
- Contribution to the wider community
The submission should highlight concrete - and preferably measurable - ways in which the entrant has contributed to the success of his or her firm/company.
Please include the following information:
- Role - describe your role, number of years of post-qualification experience and areas of responsibility.
- Achievements - how have you excelled in your role? You should provide evidence of your leadership ability, strategic vision, troubleshooting and legal skills, client satisfaction and contribution to the success of the business and the wider community.
- Feedback - provide one written reference from an executive from within your firm/company.
Team Awards
Eligibility
Open to law firms, in-house teams and ALSPs.
Entry criteria:
Entries for this award should focus on a deal that demonstrated innovative and/or collaborative working across in-house and law firm teams.
The judges will expect to see evidence of:
- Legal expertise and innovation
- Teamwork
- Contribution to the success of the business
- Efficiency
- Strategic vision
- Client Satisfaction
- Please provide an example of a deal, transaction, project or initiative where an external legal adviser and in-house legal team showed excellent collaboration.
- Show evidence of the ability of both sides to adapt and innovate to needs that arose, and explain why the collaboration was unique and impressive.
- Show how the team members on both sides worked as change agents and creatively challenged the status quo.
Open to UK-based law firms, legal departments, the UK offices of international firms and other providers of legal services.
Entry criteria
The judges will be looking for insight into how you are moving the dial within the organisation and best supporting clients and/or the firm or department with their social impact projects. This can include but is not limited to pro bono, community impact, civil rights & charity. The entry should describe the impact of the project, explain its significance, set out its goals and provide hard evidence that measurable changes have been achieved, or are being achieved.
- Define the project’s scope: include timelines, goals and team members. It is acceptable for the entry to focus on a particular stage of a long-term project.
- How successful was the implementation of this project? Was it within budget and delivered in time? What have been its benefits? Please provide hard evidence that goals have – or are being – achieved.
- Feedback. Please provide an appropriate written reference that illustrates the success of this project.
Eligibility
Open to UK-based law firms, legal departments, the UK offices of international firms and other providers of legal services.
Entry Criteria:
The judges will be looking for insight into how you are moving the dial within the organisation and/or best supporting clients with their environmental projects. The entry should describe the impact of the project, explain its significance, set out its goals and provide hard evidence that measurable changes have been achieved, or are being achieved.
- Define the project’s scope: include timelines, goals and team members. It is acceptable for the entry to focus on a particular stage of a long-term project.
- How successful was the implementation of this project? Was it within budget and delivered in time? What have been its benefits? Please provide hard evidence that goals have – or are being – achieved.
- Feedback. Please provide an appropriate written reference that illustrates the success of this project.
Eligibility
Open to UK-based law firms, legal departments, the UK offices of international firms and other providers of legal services.
Entry Criteria
The judges will be looking for insight into how you are moving the dial within the organisation and/or best supporting clients within DE&I. The entry should describe the impact of the project, explain its significance, set out its goals and provide hard evidence that measurable changes have been achieved, or are being achieved.
- Define the project’s scope: include timelines, goals and team members. It is acceptable for the entry to focus on a particular stage of a long-term project.
- How successful was the implementation of this project? Was it within budget and delivered in time? What have been its benefits? Please provide hard evidence that goals have – or are being – achieved.
- Feedback. Please provide an appropriate written reference that illustrates the success of this project.
Elibility
Open to UK-based legal departments and law firms.
Entry Criteria:
Entries for this award should focus on systems and projects that demonstrate excellence in legal operations.
The judges will expect to see evidence of:
- Legal expertise and innovation
- Cost and time savings
- Teamwork
- Contribution to the success of the business
- Efficiency
- Strategic vision
- Client Satisfaction
- Please provide examples of the projects and systems.
- Evidence of the team's ability to adapt and innovate to the current needs of the organisation.
- How the project or system has improved efficiency and ultimately client service provision?
- Show how the team members have worked as change agents and creatively challenged the status quo.
Individual Awards
This award recognises legal professionals who have gone unnoticed for, or were instrumental behind the scenes in, particularly important work. For example, it could be an associate whose work made the difference in a major piece of litigation or a more senior lawyer whose presence has had a positive impact on a law firm or organisation’s culture.
The idea is to give due credit to lawyers and legal professionals whose work, while not necessarily flashy, is vital to the success of their firm or organisation.
- Troubleshooting and legal skills
- Client satisfaction
- Leadership
- Strategic vision
- Contribution to the wider community
The submission should highlight concrete - and preferably measurable - ways in which the entrant has contributed to the success of his or her firm/company.
- Role- describe your role and areas of responsibility.
- Achievements - how have you excelled in your role? You should provide evidence of your leadership ability, strategic vision, troubleshooting and legal skills, client satisfaction and contribution to the success of the business and the wider community.
- Feedback - provide one written reference from an executive from within your firm/company.