| Berwin Leighton Paisner | Standout | Lawyers on Demand: acting as an employment agency for clients. | 9 | 7 | 7 | 23 | A pilot scheme to help clients access qualified lawyers when needed. BLP is developing a pool of well qualified lawyers who are pursuing non-legal interests but who still need to earn a salary. The firm, in effect, 'seconds' these lawyers to clients and h |
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| Clifford Chance | Standout | Associate - only client programme for Citigroup. | 7 | 9 | 6 | 22 | An initiative that tries to address the challenge of huge global client-lawyer relationships. This programme gives 80+ associates the chance to meet their client counterparts at Citigroup to gain insights into the client so as to deliver top-notch service |
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| Russell Jones & Walker | Standout | Executive Reps: providing union reps for clients who are not members of a union. | 8 | 8 | 6 | 22 | A unique service designed by the firm which enables employees to have a union representative in disciplinary meetings with management. The scheme was devised by RJW who enlisted the union, Connect. Satisfied clients give it a 10 / 10 rating. |
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| Clifford Chance | Highly commended | Lobbying against an ill-conceived and economically disastrous piece of Polish real estate legislation. | 6 | 7 | 8 | 21 | The firm took the initiative to lead the campaign to repeal this law which prevented retail businesses from developing real estate. An example of pro-active thought leadership which directly benefitted an industry. |
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| Eversheds | Highly commended | Reducing Royal Mail's legal spend with Eversheds by over 25%. | 6 | 8 | 7 | 21 | Using its business process re-engineering function, Eversheds successfully re-evaluated the way in which it delivered legal services to Royal Mail to effect significant cost savings. |
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| Ashurst | Highly commended | Quality of service auditors: independent, internal auditors who represent client's view to firm. | 7 | 7 | 6 | 20 | Real thinking behind the firm's client feedback programme which appears to put the clients first.The auditors have the power to change relationship partners and initiate innovations in the firm. |
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| Kemp Little | Highly commended | A comprehensive approach to client service which includes using a tailored version of Practical Law Company's due diligence system. | 5 | 7 | 7 | 19 | The firm's systematic innovative approach to client service has increased their client base by 42% in the past year. It's piloting work with PLC to improve due diligence helps it better manage costs for clients. |
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| Baker & McKenzie | Commended | European corporate groups' efforts to excel for their clients. | 6 | 7 | 5 | 18 | A comprehensive programme built around four planks: assessments of offices; M&A Institute; performance expectations; and post transaction reviews. Innovative in the integration of client feedback and lawyer training and performance. |
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| Blake Lapthorn | Commended | Life coaching for clients of the firm's divorce practice. | 7 | 6 | 5 | 18 | A novel way of helping clients deal with a difficult time in their lives. The firm offers one introductory session and clients then have the option to pay for more. Referees were laudatory about the initiative. |
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| DLA Piper | Commended | The Social Elections Toolkit for Belgian employers. | 7 | 6 | 5 | 18 | Employers in Belgium need to run elections for worker's representatives if they have more than 50 staff. DLA produced a database so they could manage the process legally and effectively. |
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| Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer | Commended | A Product Regulation Unit which offers clients a one stop shop for regulation advice | 6 | 6 | 6 | 18 | The Unit has a full-time team that brings together advice on differing regulation of products across the European Union from the whole firm and its network. It has been running since 2003 but remains unusual while being appreciated by clients. |
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| Herbert Smith | Commended | Influencing regulators: a new approach. | 6 | 7 | 5 | 18 | A winning combination of the practical and the academic. The firm joined forces with the London School of Economics to publish a paper on the Financial Services Authority's proposed shift to principles-based regulation. |
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| Lovells | Commended | Dawn raid defence training: rich e-learning resource and theatre-based seminars for clients. | 6 | 6 | 6 | 18 | Although this type of training is not new, the combination of imaginative and creative approaches to the subject is commendable. Tailored to different clients. Succeeded in making non-lawyers in business pay attention. |
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| Nörr Stiefenhofer Lutz | Commended | Compliance: providing a much needed forum for General Counsel to explore the issue in the light of the changing German market. | 6 | 6 | 6 | 18 | The first firm to offer serious compliance education and discussion around the issues after the Siemens case in Germany. By the end of the year, nearly 1000 General Counsel will have attended. |
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| Simmons & Simmons | Commended | Navigator funds: online service gives regulatory advice to financial institutions on the marketing and sale of hedge funds. | 5 | 7 | 6 | 18 | Marketing regulations for hedge funds frequently change; this unique resource allows clients to be constantly updated with information across 60 jurisdictions for an annual subscription. Eliminates the need for clients to go to many firms in different cou |
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| Bird & Bird | Commended | Contract Foundations Project: seminars and workshops on contract law. | 5 | 5 | 7 | 17 | Although seminars are not new, the firm has presented an intelligent creative take on an old idea that has had tremendous client feed-back. Well-thought through, the programme is designed purely with the client in mind. |
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| Garrigues | Commended | Affinitas: international multi-disciplinary CO2 network. | 5 | 7 | 5 | 17 | Bringing together a host of professionals, the firm offers clients access to climate change expertise they would otherwise find difficult to source. |
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| DLA Piper | Commended | Global client hub: provides an immediate online overview of all legal work being done for clients by DLA Piper. | 5 | 6 | 5 | 16 | Presents information on live matters and is innovative in the way it "drills down into the detail" and is so comprehensive. |
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| Eversheds | Commended | Consultancy to in-house lawyers from the ex-General Counsel of ASDA, the supermarket chain.. | 6 | 4 | 6 | 16 | Denise Jagger gives free advice to in-house legal teams about how they should be run. Generally, these departments do not have the budget to hire management consultants and the function can be quite isolated in major corporates. |
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| LG | Commended | Shareholder activism: facilitating their clients to get involved. | 6 | 5 | 5 | 16 | The first UK law firm to partner with a US class action expert to make pension funds and investors in them aware of their potential income from US class action suits. |
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| Linklaters | Commended | Knowhow consultancy: helping clients develop their expertise and access the firm's resources. | 5 | 6 | 5 | 16 | Not the first firm to go down this route, but because of Linklaters' resources, they are providing a knowledge management consultancy with real clout for big clients. Initiatives include secondments, advice and free access to knowledge management resource |
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| Mayer Brown | Commended | Helping clients respond to the credit crunch. | 6 | 6 | 4 | 16 | Reacting to market conditions quickly to help clients deal with dislocation in the credit markets. Includes a Special Situations Team which can respond quickly to assist clients with market rescues whilst also working with the Pensions team. |
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| Winckworth Sherwood | Commended | Property management extranet for client Genesis Housing Group. | 5 | 6 | 5 | 16 | The extranet reduces the preliminary work done on property transactions, enabling the firm to offer discounts and greater efficiency to the client. |
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