CATEGORY GUIDELINES
Entries for this category should focus on one standout transaction completed between April 2023 to present time, involving Continental European clients and offices. Entries are welcomed for both domestic and cross-border work for Continental European clients, led from Continental European offices from any firm. Work led from London is not eligible for entry in this category.
Although we recognise that it is always preferable to engage in mediation or dispute resolution, this category can only recognise cases that are on public record. The category is open to lawyers specialising in insurance, reinsurance, construction, tax & trusts, defamation, as well as general commercial litigation.
Ongoing cases will not be considered.
This category is not confined to the biggest transaction and is open to those firm who are doing well above their weight; not simply the biggest deals or costs by value.
To enter you must complete the entry form on the online entry portal.
Don’t forget, you can login 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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Background to the deal (500 words)
- Judges will be looking for anything that makes the context of this particular deal challenging – this could be the market context, the regulatory environment or the nature of the client itself. You’ll also be asked for details of the history of the client relationship, so include any past activities that have had a bearing on the chosen deal.
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Execution and process (500 words)
- Judges will be looking for examples of excellence and innovation demonstrated in your team’s work, be that technical legal practice, client service or use of technology; be sure to also include details of any obstacles or unanticipated difficulties and how you overcame them.
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Outcomes and successes (500 words)
- Judges will be looking at the outcome of the deal itself, but also at any other measurable or strategic impacts that have arisen from the work carried out, either internally at a team-, practice area- or firm-wide level, or externally in terms of your ongoing work with this or other clients
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Major parties involved in the deal
- Judges are interested in learning more about the individuals behind the work and how these parties fed into the chosen deal, both internally and externally – feel free to include biographical information on the partners and associates if relevant to the rest of the submission
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Supporting information (500 words)
- Judges will be looking for any activities outside of the deal that has made your team stand out over the course of the year– you should think about other notable client gains or significant wins for the team, any client service successes or innovations, any impact your team has had at a firm-wide level in terms of best practice or strategy, and crucially an indication of financial performance
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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 – Portolano Cavallo
2022 – Sayenko Kharenko
2021 – McCann FitzGerald
2020 – De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek
2019 – Zamfirescu Racoti & Partners
Entries are welcome from:
Entries may come from a single firm or more than one firm working as co-counsel for a single client across several jurisdictions. Multiple entries from one firm covering different transactions are acceptable.
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 any editorial coverage when not marked otherwise
• Entries covering work outside of the dates given (April 2023 – present day) will not be considered