WINNERS

• 1st - Sacker & Partners
Pensions specialist Sacker & Partners has achieved the unachievable: made pensions law sexy. Having won impressive new clients such as Rolls Royce, Bentley and Bayer over the past year, the firm also played key roles in settling pensions disputes at Alliance Boots and Sea Containers. In the former partner Peter Lester and associate Robin Simmons worked alongside Ashurst in resolving a pension despite that could have halted the Kohlberg Kravis Roberts-led buyout of Alliance Boots. In the latter partner Nick Couldery advised the trustees of one Sea Containers pension fund as it persuaded the Pensions Regulator to issue a financial support direction (FSD) against Sea Containers - the first time the regulator had taken such action. And it’s all paying off: plateau partners at the 50-lawyer firm saw their profit share break the £1m barrier for the first time in 2007.

• 2nd - BCL Burton Copeland
Specialising in challenging criminal investigations, many of which are high profile, span jurisdictions and have significant value.
Founding partner Ian Burton sets the bar high at BCL Burton Copeland. He is known by his peers as being the “godfather of white collar crime law”.
In 2007, Burton led the team which successfully defended champion jockey Kieran Fallon from allegations of price fixing in horse racing. The eleven-partner firm is also advising two of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies on Serious Fraud Office investigations into the Oil for Food programme in Iraq.
With a strong team of partners, including Brian Spiro, Harry Travers and Jane Glass, the firm sets the standard for other fraud lawyers to achieve.

• 3rd - Gates & Partners
This niche aviation firm has really taken off over the last year, opening new offices in Singapore and landing leading aviation lawyers, most recently Wragge & Co’s head of aviation Roger Whipp.
Managing partner Sean Gates is widely considered a global leading force in aviation law and he has clearly carved a strong niche area for Gates & Partners. As well as organising aircraft financing deals and dealing with regulatory issues affecting the industry, Gates & partners has successfully created specialisms including establishing a four partner space team to deal with satellite insurance claims management. It is one firm which could lay claim to being truly out of this world.

---

Open to specialist or regional practices of no more than 15 partners.

Judges will be looking for evidence of:

• Excellence in the firm’s chosen field, supported by work over the whole year
• Commercial strength - details of turnover should be provided
• Market share and evidence of both growth and retention within their client list
• Legal and / or entrepreneurial innovation

Entries welcome from:
Private practice teams	√
Nominations by in-house teams	√

Previous Winners:
2007	MPH Solicitors
2006	Sharpe Pritchard
2005	Sacker & Partners LLP
2004	Gordons
2003	Schillings