2020 General Criteria

Anyone can submit an entry, as long as they or the firm/company they are entering meet the criteria for the relevant category. There is also only one entry per firm/company per award.

The time period covered by entries should be the 12 months prior to the entry deadline. The focus of these awards is disputes that are heard in the UK, either in its higher courts or by means of arbitrations. The exceptions are the International Arbitration Team of the Year Award and the Trust and Estates Litigation Team of the Year, although even then the work must have a significant UK connection.

The team awards must focus on a standout case that exemplifies the team’s performance. Aside from the In-house Team of the Year Award, the team awards are reserved for law firms, which should only submit one entry per category.
 

Covering Statement & Evidence

Your 800 word statement is your entry. It must 'tell the story' while also seeking to cover the specific criteria as set out in each category. The weakest part of many entries is often the failure to include clear evidence of achievement or explanation of why the achievement was significant or innovative.
 

Confidentiality

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.