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- FT Law 50 2009
- Billing and Fees 2009
- Changing the rules 2009
- Client Service 2009
- Energy 2009
- Financial Crisis and the downturn 2009
- Financial Crisis and the downturn 2009 (2)
- Financial Services - Islamic finance 2009
- Financial Services 2009
- Fraud 2009
- Law firm management 2009
- Resourcing 2009
- Resourcing 2009 (2)
- FT Law 50 2008
- Finance 2008
- Finance 2008 (2)
- Finance 2008 (3)
- Management 2008
- Marketing & PR 2008
- Marketing & PR 2008 (2)
- Real Estate 2008
- Real Estate 2008 (2)
- Responsible Business 2008
- Responsible Business 2008 (2)
- Technology & Know-How 2008
- Billing and Fees 2008
- Billing and Fees 2008 (2)
- Client Service 2008
- Client Service 2008 (2)
- Corporate 2008
- Corporate 2008 (2)
- Corporate 2008 (3)
- Human Resources 2008
- Public-Private Partnership 2008
All rankings
- FT Law 50 2009
- Billing and fees - litigation financing 2009
- Billing and Fees 2009
- Changing the rules 2009
- Client Service 2009
- Continental European Firms 2009
- Dispute Resolution - credit crisis 2009
- Dispute Resolution - non credit crisis 2009
- Energy 2009
- Financial Crisis and the downturn 2009
- Financial Services - Islamic finance 2009
- Financial Services - Longevity risk and mortgages 2009
- Financial Services 2009
- Fraud 2009
- Government 2009
- In-House Lawyers 2009
- Law firm management 2009
- Resourcing 2009
- US Financial Crisis and the downturn 2009
- FT Law 50 2008
- Finance 2008
- Fraud 2008
- Management 2008
- Marketing & PR 2008
- Publishing 2008
- Real Estate 2008
- Responsible Business 2008
- Technology & Know-How 2008
- Top 10 US Law Firms In Europe For Innovation In Expansion 2008
- Billing and Fees 2008
- Client Service 2008
- Commercial 2008
- Continental European Firms 2008
- Corporate 2008
- Corporate- Europe 2008
- Dispute Resolution 2008
- Diversity 2008
- Human Resources 2008
- In-House Lawyers 2008
- Public-Private Partnership 2008
Clifford ChanceFT Law 50 2009
| Rankings at a glance | |
|---|---|
| 2009 Rank | 2 |
| 2008 Rank | 1 |
| 2009 total score for ALL entries submitted | 395 |
| 2009 score band for ALL entries submitted (/10) | 10 |
| Number of standout entries in FT REPORT | 3 |
| Number of highly commended entries in FT REPORT | 8 |
| Number of commended entries in FT REPORT | 2 |
| 2009: total weighted score for ranked entries in FT REPORT | 30 |
| 2009 Score band for ranked entries in FT REPORT (/10) | 10 |
| 2008: total weighted score for ranked entries in FT REPORT | 40 |
| 2008 score band for ranked entries in FT REPORT (/5) | 5 |
| 2009 Profits per Equity Partner (PEP) (£k) | 733 |
| 2009 Score band for PEP (/5) | 3 |
| Assessment of management commitment and innovation value to firm (/20) | 17 |
| Total Innovation Score in the FTLAW50 (/50) | 45 |
| 2009 Rank chart | |
|---|---|
| More charting |
Billing and Fees 2009
| Rankings at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Award level | Highly commended |
| Innovation | Quantifying value-added services |
| Originality | 7 |
| Rationale | 6 |
| Impact | 6 |
| Total | 19 |
| Description | Reports assign a monetary value to the free work that large firms do such as secondments, helplines and updates as well as measuring the value of any business referrals. Considered an important benchmarking tool by its clients |
Changing the rules 2009
| Rankings at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Award level | Standout |
| Innovation | Using the law to push the frontiers of science |
| Originality | 6 |
| Rationale | 7 |
| Impact | 8 |
| Total | 21 |
| Description | The firm successfully lobbied the government to permit the go-ahead for hybrid embryo research. The firm’s James Lawford Davies is the world leading expert in this field |
Client Service 2009
| Rankings at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Award level | Commended |
| Innovation | Aviation finance school in China |
| Originality | 4 |
| Rationale | 6 |
| Impact | 6 |
| Total | 16 |
| Description | Training seminars in China bring in speakers from across the firm’s network to share valuable experience |
Energy 2009
| Rankings at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Award level | Highly commended |
| Innovation | A tradeable carbon currency |
| Originality | 7 |
| Rationale | 7 |
| Impact | 6 |
| Total | 20 |
| Description | The firm has set up three emissions registries for the Voluntary Carbon Standard Association, turning carbon trading for non-governmental organisations from a concept into a genuine market |
Financial Crisis and the downturn 2009
| Rankings at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Award level | Highly commended |
| Innovation | Cheyne Finance receivership: acting for buyers Goldman Sachs |
| Originality | 6 |
| Rationale | 6 |
| Impact | 7 |
| Total | 19 |
| Description | Helped develop a pre-pack arrangement allowing 80 per cent of creditors to retain their investment. The receivers were able to fulfil their duties in selling Cheyne’s assets, giving creditors the option to cash out |
Financial Crisis and the downturn 2009 (2)
| Rankings at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Award level | Highly commended |
| Innovation | The playbook: solutions to the crisis |
| Originality | 6 |
| Rationale | 7 |
| Impact | 5 |
| Total | 18 |
| Description | The playbook models crisis strategies, providing a tool for firm and client to discuss solutions and opportunities |
Financial Services - Islamic finance 2009
| Rankings at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Award level | Highly commended |
| Innovation | A huge Shari'a compliant securitisation in challenging economic circumstances |
| Originality | 7 |
| Rationale | 7 |
| Impact | 6 |
| Total | 20 |
| Description | The firm used a 500 year old Shari'a structure, the Mudaraba, as an investment trust. Making it renewable on a monthly basis ensured that capital could be returned and then reinvested. Recognised as both fully Western and Islamic |
Financial Services 2009
| Rankings at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Award level | Highly commended |
| Innovation | World Economic Forum report on new financial architecture |
| Originality | 6 |
| Rationale | 7 |
| Impact | 6 |
| Total | 19 |
| Description | As the only law firm to work with the WEF on their most high-profile report to date, Clifford Chance advised on the regulatory aspects of the new financial era |
Fraud 2009
| Rankings at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Award level | Standout |
| Innovation | A landmark action in a foreign jurisdiction |
| Originality | 7 |
| Rationale | 6 |
| Impact | 7 |
| Total | 20 |
| Description | On behalf of Brazil, the firm acted as de facto public prosecutors to prosecute successfully corrupt Swiss bankers in the Swiss court |
Law firm management 2009
| Rankings at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Award level | Highly commended |
| Innovation | India strategy |
| Originality | 6 |
| Rationale | 5 |
| Impact | 8 |
| Total | 19 |
| Description | In an important but closed legal market, the firm secured a tie-up agreement with one of India’s top firms, AZB & Partners. This relationship enables the firm to rectify a key missing link in its global offering |
Resourcing 2009
| Rankings at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Award level | Standout |
| Innovation | The knowledge centre |
| Originality | 6 |
| Rationale | 8 |
| Impact | 7 |
| Total | 21 |
| Description | Indian law graduates in Delhi undertake paralegal work, document drafting and research, cutting costs for clients. The firm’s total control of the operation ensures quality output |
Resourcing 2009 (2)
| Rankings at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Award level | Commended |
| Innovation | Mumbai pitch team |
| Originality | 5 |
| Rationale | 5 |
| Impact | 5 |
| Total | 15 |
| Description | Through its relationship with Integreon, the firm offshored a significant proportion of its desktop publishing work to Mumbai, India. This reduced costs and improved the quality of the work |
FT Law 50 2008
| Rankings at a glance | |
|---|---|
| 2008 Rank | 1 |
| 2007 Rank | 2 (+1) |
| 2008: Total score for ALL entries submitted | 498 |
| 2008: score band for ALL entries submitted (/10) | 10 |
| Number of standout entries in FT REPORT | 4 |
| Number of highly commended entries in FT REPORT | 8 |
| Number of commended entries in FT REPORT | 8 |
| 2008: total weighted score for ranked entries in FT REPORT | 40 |
| 2008: score band for ranked entries in FT REPORT (/10) | 10 |
| 2007: total weighted score for ranked entries in FT REPORT | 29 |
| 2007: score band for ranked entries in FT REPORT (/5) | 4 |
| 2007: Profits per Equity Partner (PEP) | 1,170 |
| 2007: score band for PEP (/5) | 3 |
| Assessment of management commitment and innovation value to firm (/20) | 17 |
| Total Innovation Score in the FTLAW50 (/50) | 44 |
Finance 2008
| Rankings at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Award Level | Highly commended |
| Innovation | Shaping the covered bond market in The Netherlands and beyond. |
| Originality | 7 |
| Rationale | 6 |
| Impact | 5 |
| Total | 18 |
| Description | The firm, with ABN Amro, set up the first covered bond in The Netherlands. They borrowed and simplified the UK model and are now rolling out their expertise to other jurisdictions. |
Finance 2008 (2)
| Rankings at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Award Level | Commended |
| Innovation | DP World £2.4bn Initial Public Offering on the Dubai International Financial Exchange. |
| Originality | 6 |
| Rationale | 5 |
| Impact | 6 |
| Total | 17 |
| Description | The largest ever IPO in the Middle East and the first on the DIFX. The firm managed to overcome the potential obstacle of the sukuk and made unwieldly documentation available on the internet without breaching US securities regulations. |
Finance 2008 (3)
| Rankings at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Award Level | Commended |
| Innovation | Climate Awareness Bond. |
| Originality | 6 |
| Rationale | 6 |
| Impact | 4 |
| Total | 16 |
| Description | The firm has put into place a structure to implement an idea from EIB to raise funds for green projects. |
Management 2008
| Rankings at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Award Level | Standout |
| Innovation | The Global Shared Services Centre: outsourcing to India. |
| Originality | 7 |
| Rationale | 7 |
| Impact | 6 |
| Total | 20 |
| Description | Extensively and speedily outsourcing its back office IT and accountancy processes to India. Will make cost savings of £8m per annum in four years. Ramping up its use of paralegals. |
Marketing & PR 2008
| Rankings at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Award Level | Standout |
| Innovation | International Climate Change Survey: global issue research to influence government and business. |
| Originality | 6 |
| Rationale | 7 |
| Impact | 8 |
| Total | 21 |
| Description | Going beyond the usual market research survey to create a piece of thought leadership that was discussed at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Secured extensive media coverage and positioned the firm as a leader on this key issue. |
Marketing & PR 2008 (2)
| Rankings at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Award Level | Highly Commended |
| Innovation | Dusseldorf Energy Law Day: firm organised conference on energy regulation. |
| Originality | 5 |
| Rationale | 6 |
| Impact | 6 |
| Total | 17 |
| Description | Three hundred and fifty key players in Europe's energy industry gather every year to attend this high-level event that raises the firm' s profile, generates work and provides a unique talking shop for the industry. |
Real Estate 2008
| Rankings at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Award Level | Highly commended |
| Innovation | Advising a Qatari investment company on £1.25bn acquisition and Islamic financing of Chelsea Barracks. The highest value UK land acquisition to date. |
| Originality | 7 |
| Rationale | 6 |
| Impact | 6 |
| Total | 19 |
| Description | The acquisition of a landmark piece of Chelsea real estate with Islamic finance. With no real estate financing precedent on this scale, the legal team put together a sale and leaseback agreement using an Ijara, an Islamic financial instrument. The site is now being developed by CPC, the Guernsey-based developers. |
Real Estate 2008 (2)
| Rankings at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Award Level | Commended |
| Innovation | Advising Banco Santander on Project Brick, a €1.9bn transaction, the largest sale and leaseback in mainland Europe. |
| Originality | 6 |
| Rationale | 5 |
| Impact | 5 |
| Total | 16 |
| Description | In advising the bank on the sale and 40-year leaseback of its Madrid headquarters, the firm had to develop a new form of lease and write-in options for the vendor to buy-back and to build on the land. |
Responsible Business 2008
| Rankings at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Award Level | Highly commended |
| Innovation | Skills for Life Development Programme: a training programme for the firm's in-house contractors set up with Inner London Training. |
| Originality | 6 |
| Rationale | 7 |
| Impact | 6 |
| Total | 19 |
| Description | An unusual move for a City employer to actively improve the its catering contractors, helping them to achieve basic qualifications. Innovative in terms of its scale, ownership and the fact the firm is taking a look at its whole supply chain. |
Responsible Business 2008 (2)
| Rankings at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Award Level | Commended |
| Innovation | Monitoring the trial of Charles Taylor, former president of Liberia. The firm is instrumental in creating a blog on the daily proceedings so that West Africans are informed. |
| Originality | 6 |
| Rationale | 6 |
| Impact | 6 |
| Total | 18 |
| Description | Nineteen Clifford Chance lawyers attend the trial daily and update a blog that the firm designed and funded. Perfect alignment of the firm's global resources with its commitment to human rights, international justice the and rule of law. |
Technology & Know-How 2008
| Rankings at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Award Level | Commended |
| Innovation | File As You Go: an email capture system. |
| Originality | 5 |
| Rationale | 5 |
| Impact | 6 |
| Total | 16 |
| Description | Requires individuals to tag every email sent or received. One archive is used for the whole firm which controls and improves data storage, and decreases knowledge loss. Is currently only in the London office. |
Billing and Fees 2008
| Rankings at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Award Level | Highly commended |
| Innovation | Bespoke Billing Management: using a cost control manager for clients on large transactions. |
| Originality | 7 |
| Rationale | 7 |
| Impact | 5 |
| Total | 19 |
| Description | A human, proactive solution to the challenge of project management and managing costs for clients. Has managed 30 big transactions, reducing the time spent by the partners on this activity and work in progress periods. |
Billing and Fees 2008 (2)
| Rankings at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Award Level | Commended |
| Innovation | Rugby World Cup 2007: swapping legal advice for sponsorship rights and tickets. |
| Originality | 5 |
| Rationale | 5 |
| Impact | 5 |
| Total | 15 |
| Description | As official law firm to the International Rugby Board, the firm used a 'time bank' to receive 3000 tickets and branding rights. An example of payment in kind with a twist. |
Client Service 2008
| Rankings at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Award Level | Standout |
| Innovation | Associate - only client programme for Citigroup. |
| Originality | 7 |
| Rationale | 9 |
| Impact | 6 |
| Total | 22 |
| Description | 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 |
Client Service 2008 (2)
| Rankings at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Award Level | Highly commended |
| Innovation | Lobbying against an ill-conceived and economically disastrous piece of Polish real estate legislation. |
| Originality | 6 |
| Rationale | 7 |
| Impact | 8 |
| Total | 21 |
| Description | 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. |
Corporate 2008
| Rankings at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Award Level | Standout |
| Innovation | Designing the Czech Republic's new Insolvency Act. |
| Originality | 6 |
| Rationale | 7 |
| Impact | 7 |
| Total | 20 |
| Description | Tomas Richter devised the Act from a clean slate. Based on best practice from across the world, it replaced a morass of post-1991 laws. Czech credit financing should become cheaper as risk exposure for lenders is more predictable. |
Corporate 2008 (2)
| Rankings at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Award Level | Commended |
| Innovation | Separation, IPO and the return of Cash in relation to Man Group's disposal of MF Global Ltd. |
| Originality | 6 |
| Rationale | 4 |
| Impact | 5 |
| Total | 15 |
| Description | Clifford Chance achieved a novel and tax-efficient method of returning cash to shareholders following the disposal of part of Man Group. The structure used was merely one of the creative solutions proposed to the client. |
Corporate 2008 (3)
| Rankings at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Award Level | Commended |
| Innovation | The Co-operative merger - a new competition precedent in retail sector. |
| Originality | 5 |
| Rationale | 5 |
| Impact | 5 |
| Total | 15 |
| Description | The firm succeeded in getting the Office of Fair Trading to accept sophisticated economic and survey evidence rather than have the merger of two parts of the Co-operative group be examined by the Competition Commission. |
Human Resources 2008
| Rankings at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Award Level | Highly commended |
| Innovation | Global career framework for business services staff who are usually neglected in law firms. |
| Originality | 6 |
| Rationale | 7 |
| Impact | 6 |
| Total | 19 |
| Description | A transparent structure and a set of core competencies formally define all business services roles in the firm. The framework gives clarity and career development to this group of employees. |
Public-Private Partnership 2008
| Rankings at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Project | The UK's Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (FSTA): £13bn to procure and run the UK's air- to- air refuelling capability worldwide. |
| Award Level | Highly commended |
| Originality | 6 |
| Creativity | 7 |
| Impact | 3 |
| Total | 16 |
| The lawyers' innovation | The firm advised AirTanker, the preferred bidder, as it negotiated the complexities of its risk exposure. The firm managed the flow-down implications of changes to the project as it affected the sponsors. Nearly half the firm's meeting rooms were used at the height of negotiations and at its peak the project represented a considerable management challenge. |
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