CATEGORY GUIDELINES
This category is only open to independent firms. Those which are headquartered outside Continental Europe or are members of a branded international alliance are ineligible.
The awards are judging performance broadly from April 2023 to present day; this means that the bulk of work and any achievements listed within the entry must have been carried out within this time period (please note it is not essential that a project or case has both launched and closed within this time period).
Winning firms will be able to demonstrate that they have had an exceptional year, managing the pressures of the economic environment while maintaining high levels of client service. We are looking for firms that can clearly articulate their strategy and vision for the future, both in terms of significant developments in the past year and planned investment.
We are focusing particularly on firms able to demonstrate that they are capable of operating in the global economy and are looking for evidence of strategic initiatives aimed at growing cross-border and referral work, both inbound and outbound.
To enter you must complete the entry form on the online entry portal.
Don’t forget, you can log-in and out of the entry portal as many times as you like prior to submitting.
WHAT WILL THE JUDGES BE LOOKING FOR IN THIS CATEGORY?
The entry form covers the following areas:
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Context and positioning (500 words)
- Our judges will be looking for indications of how well your firm is performing in your particular market, evidenced by client growth / retention and other business successes, and how you have overcome any competitive challenges presented by your market. Some judges may not be as familiar with your firm so please give a concise description of where you are, where you’ve come from and how the firm is structured, but remember to focus on achievements and figures from April 2023
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Strategy and execution (500 words)
- Our judges will be looking for examples of how your firm stands out in its market – what differentiates you from your competition and what actions have you taken or investments have you made in technology, talent and more to ensure you remain a leading player? Where do you excel, and what makes you best able to serve your clients?
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Success (500 words)
- Our judges will want to understand how you define success, and how you currently measure up against that definition. It’s really important that you include evidence of financial performance here; you can include this in the CONFIDENTIAL SECTION at the end of the form if you want this information to be treated for judges’ eyes only
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Additional materials
- You should use this section to upload any client testimonials that add weight to your entry, and any charts or other visual aids that illustrate your work.
There is a confidential information section on the form: We fully appreciate that some of the information you include in your entry may be sensitive. We want to encourage you to submit as much detail as possible, including financial performance, therefore please include in this section any sensitive information that should be treated for judges’ eyes only.
Previous winners:
2023 – Chiomenti
2022 – Legance
2021 – Portolano Cavallo
2020 – Nctm
2019 – Legance – Avvocati Associati
2018 – Portolano Cavallo
2017 – BonelliErede
2016 – LEXELLENT
2015 – Bonelli Erede Pappalardo
2014 – Gianni Origoni Grippo Cappelli & Partners
General points to remember:
• The more detail you provide, the more likely your entry is to be highly ranked by our independent judges
• Client testimonials add extra weight to your entry – please provide them during the online entry process
• Please ensure you indicate clearly on your entry where information is confidential; the content of entries is for judges’ eyes only, however details given in your submission may be used in the shortlist announcement and the post-event editorial coverage when not marked otherwise
• Entries covering work outside of the dates given (April 2023 – present day) will not be considered