In preparation for the 2022 IFLR1000 submissions, Galit Tassi, Submissions Department Manager, met in London with Danielle Ngwana-Joseph, the new EMEA editor at IFLR1000. Ahead of the February 24th deadline, we draw your attention to a few key points about this year’s research.
Important to know what is new this year
There is a new submission portal through which law firms can submit their work evidence, as well as referees (which means there will be no need to type in referees manually anymore).
Also, it is important to note that there is an option to fill in the matters in an excel sheet (joint excel with the referees but different tab). IFLR1000 is currently testing this option and for ease of reading, editing, and reviewing, we recommend the Word document template, as before.
Diversity, equality and inclusion- due to the increasing importance to showcase diversity IFLR1000 changed the format to allow the inclusion of more initiatives (up to 3). Please note that this section dose not affect the firm or individual rankings.
The new submissions form, though similar to the previous one, has been expanded in order to include more data, including nominating up to three deals for an award using the relevant section in the deal example table.
Fear not
There are no new practice areas being researched but familiarize yourself with the definitions and aim for no more than 20 complex, innovative, or precedential matters – that are unique in structure or unusual for the client or the market in which they operate.
Lawyer Nominee Categories have expanded
They include Market leader (instead of key partners); Women Leader; Highly regarded (NEW); Expert consultant (NEW); Rising Star Partners for those who made partner after February 2019; Rising Star Associates for those associates who qualified less than 15 years ago; and Notable Practitioners for those mentioned in one or two deals in the submission. With bios, a link to the lawyer’s online profile is sufficient.
In order to improve your law firms’ individual rankings, we suggest having each nominated individual on three matters and to allocate three client referees for each nominee.
Referees
A new template has been introduced for ease of use. Choose wisely. Those who have been actively involved with the firm in the last two years, are available, know the wider team, and can speak enthusiastically about the team.
To help you and your firm achieve the rankings you deserve, Lee Saunders, Chief Editor, suggests: Keep to the key facts – if your 85-year-old grandmother asked you what you had been working on and wanted to proudly tell her friends – what does she need to know? Keep your eye on what is complex or international and explain clearly and professionally.
