Nominations are now open for the biggest showcase of talent in the industry, the Legal Business Awards 2017, so now is the time to put forward your outstanding teams and individuals.
The awards will be presented at a gala celebration on Thursday 23 March 2017 at The Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane, London (click here to reserve places). You have until 25 November to provide submissions in any of the 24 categories open to law firms, in-house teams and the Bar.
For the full category line up and FAQs about the awards, as well as a list of this year’s winners, click here.
As every award is hotly contested, with typically only six nominations shortlisted in each category, here are some tips taken from nearly 20 years of Legal Business Awards that will help you make the most of your achievements…
Joint submissions
While joint submissions are welcomed, the Legal Business Awards aim to identify individuals and organisations as best-in-breed. Where it is clear one party has made the most significant contribution, it is likely that team alone will be shortlisted.
UK-based lead partners
The practice area awards are open to any organisation practising in the UK but to be eligible, the team must be led by an individual working out of a UK office (with the exception of Competition Team of the Year which will also consider teams based in Brussels).
No secrets
We will assume all information in your submission can be published unless you state otherwise. A few confidential details in a submission are fine (particularly in areas such as arbitration or private client) but please bear in mind that we will need to justify your inclusion on a shortlist. If we are unable to publish specifics, it will hamper your chances.
Matters must be completed
Do not include outstanding matters, especially disputes that are likely to go to appeal or deals that could yet face significant regulatory hurdles. The practice area awards recognise teams that have achieved successful outcomes for clients, which cannot be established if a matter is still in the air. The practice area awards relate to matters completed in the calendar year 2016 only.
Multiple matters
You are welcome to submit more than once in each category but each matter should be submitted separately. However, very often with the practice area awards we are looking to award a team for its outstanding performance in one specific matter. Usually if you cannot identify a standout deal or case from a cluster, neither can we. Arguably it is better to concentrate efforts on producing one knockout submission than diluting the impact with multiple matters mentioned out of fairness to colleagues in the same practice group, unless it is a suite of matters for one client that naturally sit together.
Keep it brief
Format and style are irrelevant but getting to the point is important. We ask for no more than 600 words per submission to encourage nominees to stick to the salient facts. By all means provide links to supplementary information or clippings that support your submission but do not waste space with boilerplate text about your organisation’s core values or a list of academic articles written by the lead individual on the team.
Include client feedback where appropriate
Including positive quotes from the client in your submission about the contribution made by the team, individual or organisation will carry more weight than anything else.
We look forward to receiving your entries. If you have any questions relating to the awards, please contact me here. Last year, well over 1,000 guests saw Pinsent Masons named Law Firm of the Year, while Skyscanner took the In-House Team of the Year award. We expect even tougher competition for awards this year. Good luck.
mark.mcateer@legalease.co.uk
