The Lawyer European Awards 2012: the winners

Noerr edged out a strong list of regional winners to take home the night’s big award, after a year of outstanding growth and vision.

Italy’s Gianni Origoni Grippo Cappelli & Partners was highly commended in the European Law Firm of the year category, recognised for its bold move in snatching Grimaldi e Associati partner Roberto Cappelli late last year as well as for its work on a string of high-profile transactions.

The gala dinner was held at the Hotel Hermitage overlooking Monte Carlo’s historic harbour. Hosted by BBC presenter Mishal Husain for the second year running, awards were presented to firms of all shapes and sizes from around Europe.

Domański Zakrzewski Palinka became the first Polish Firm of the year, while Popovici Nițu & Asociații picked up the inaugural Romanian Law Firm of the year prize. Fellow Romanian Florentin Ţuca of Ţuca Zbârcea & Asociaţii won the European Managing Partner of the year award for his tireless and inspiring leadership.

The awards were judged by a panel of senior in-house counsel and UK managing and senior partners.

The Hermitage is also the venue for this year’s European Conference, with delegates discussing strategy and management issues against the background of the tough economic climate.

The winners in full:

Law firm of the year: Austria

Winner: Schoenherr

Binder Grösswang
Dorda Brugger Jordis
Fellner Wratzfeld & Partner
Graf & Pitkowitz
Wolf Theiss

Law firm of the year: Benelux

Winner: Liedekerke Wolters Waelbroeck Kirkpatrick

Alber & Geiger
Arendt & Medernach
Boekel De Neree
De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek
Houthoff Buruma
NautaDutilh

Law firm of the year: Central Europe

Winner: PRK Partners

Kinstellar
Konečná & Zacha
Salans
Schoenherr
Wolf Theiss

Law firm of the year: Eastern Europe and the Balkans

Winner: Wolf Theiss

Boyanov & Co.
Kalo & Associates
Kinstellar
Pamboridis
Penev
Schoenherr

Law firm of the year: France

Winner: August & Debouzy
Highly commended: Bredin Prat

Franklin
Salans

Law firm of the year: Germany

Winner: Noerr

Buse Heberer Fromm
Glade Michel Wirtz
Gleiss Lutz
Hengeler Mueller
Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek
Schalast & Partner

Law firm of the year: Iberia

Winner: PLMJ
Highly commended: Garrigues

Cuatrecasas Gonçalves Pereira
Gomez-Acebo & Pombo
Uría Menéndez
Vieira de Almeida & Associados

Law firm of the year: Italy

Winner: Gianni Origoni Grippo Cappelli & Partners

AL - Assistenza Legale
LABLAW - Studio Legale
NCTM
Portolano Cavallo Studio Legale

Law firm of the year: Poland

Winner: Domański Zakrzewski Palinka
Highly commended: Salans

Gide Loyrette Nouel
Soltysinski Kawecki & Szlezak (SK&S)

Law firm of the year: Republic of Ireland

Winner: Arthur Cox
Highly commended: McCann FitzGerald

A&L Goodbody
Matheson Ormsby Prentice
William Fry

Law firm of the year: Romania

Winner: Popovici Nițu & Asociații
Highly commended: Musat & Asociatii

Kinstellar
Nestor Nestor Diculescu Kingston Petersen
Salans
Ţuca Zbârcea & Asociaţii

Law firm of the year: Russia and the CIS

Winner: Pepeliaev Group

Asters
Egorov Puginsky Afanasiev & Partners
Muranov, Chernyakov & Partners
Salans
Sayenko Kharenko

Law firm of the year: Switzerland

Winner: Schellenberg Wittmer

Bär & Karrer
Niederer Kraft & Frey
Pestalozzi
Walder Wyss

Law firm of the year: The Baltics

Winner: LAWIN

Raidla Lejins & Norcous
Sorainen
Varul

Law firm of the year: The Nordics

Sponsored by Bignon De Keyser

Winner: Schjødt
Highly commended: Plesner

Magnusson
Mannheimer Swartling
MAQS Law Firm
Roschier
Thommessen

Law firm of the year: Turkey

Winner: Bener Law Office
Highly commended: Bezen & Partners

Çukur & Yılmaz Law Firm
Hergüner Bilgen Özeke Avukatlık Ortaklığı
Kinstellar

European specialist firm of the year

Winner: Portolano Cavallo Studio Legale

AL - Assistenza Legale
Glade Michel Wirtz
LABLAW - Studio Legale
Trevisan & Cuonzo
Vandenbulke

International law firm of the year

Winner: Watson, Farley & Williams, Germany

Baker & McKenzie, Russia and the CIS
Dechert, Russia and the CIS
Goltsblat BLP, Russia
Heisse Kursawe Eversheds, Germany
Weil Gotshal & Manges, Central and Eastern Europe

European Managing Partner of the year

Sponsored by KermaPartners

Winner: Florentin Ţuca, Ţuca Zbârcea & Asociaţii
Highly commended: Oleksiy Didkovskiy, Asters

Emmanuelle Barbara, August & Debouzy
Christian H. Pothe, Buse Heberer Fromm
Pauliina Tenhunen, Castrén & Snellman
Luca Failla and Francesco Rotondi, LABLAW - Studio Legale

European law firm of the year

Sponsored by Thomson Reuters

Winner: Noerr
Highly commended: Gianni Origoni Grippo Cappelli & Partners