Lawyers from across the spectrum are today recognised by The Lawyer for their innovative and inspirational work as we unveil this year’s Hot 100.

An equal number of men and women are named in this year’s list, which includes transactional and contentious lawyers, management figures, barristers and those involved in campaigning for change in their field of law.

The campaigners category includes two figures heavily involved in the campaign against legal aid. Outgoing Bar Council chair Maura McGowan QC and Legal Aid Pracitioners Group chair Carol Storer have both been fighting vigorously against the proposed cuts, which last week led criminal barristers to stage a walk-out (6 January 2014).

The largest category is in-house, featuring 22 heads of legal from across the corporate spectrum who stand out for their innovation in a changing market. They include BT general counsel Dan Fitz and BT Sport head Nigel Paterson, who by creating one of the first corporate ABSs and leading BT’s groundbreaking TV rights deal with Uefa have made the telecoms company one of the most serious in-house players globally.

In-housers leading the UK’s biggest infrastructure projects are also recognised, including Transport for London’s Andrea Clarke, while a number of other heads of legal on the list have radically overhauled their panel arrangements in the past year with the aim of cutting costs and increasing value for money for their businesses – such as Eon general counsel Graham Line (3 October 2013), Network Rail’s Suzanne Wise (19 April 2013), and Lambeth County Council’s Mark Hynes (13 November 2013).

Among the management figures are those at the forefront of legal market change, such as Slater & Gordon UK head Neil Kinsella, Irwin Mitchell CEO John Pickering and Alison Bond, head of Pinsent Masons’ on-demand business Vario (16 February 2013).

Barristers include Serjeant’s Inn’s Robert Francis QC, who chaired the inquiry into failings at the Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust (7 February 2013) and Brick Court Chambers’ new co-head Helen Davies QC (4 October 2013). Matrix Chambers has two members in the Hot 100 – Jessica Simor QC, nominated for her representation of families of soldiers injured in conflict, and Tom Linden QC, one of the country’s top employment silks. Matrix chief executive Lindsay Scott also features in the management section for her leadership of the set.

While the majority of the private practice lawyers are partners, there are a handful of star associates featured. These include RGC Jenkins & Co senior associate Joanne Ling, who acted for Nestlé in its Court of Appeal victory against Cadbury over the protection of the shade of purple associated with the latter’s products (4 October 2013). Dentons associate Roy Pinnock is also in the list, for his work on the Nine Elms development in Battersea (25 November 2013).

The final list, published every year, follows months of research by The Lawyer’s editorial team into candidates’ client work and contribution to their firms and the profession.

The full list can be found by clicking here.