| Standout | ClientEarth | 29 | 10 | 10 | 9 | Established nine years ago by US environmental lawyer James Thornton, ClientEarth is Europe’s first law firm set up to defend the public interest in the environment. Formed as a charity and independently funded, it now has 100 staff, who use the law as a strategic tool to protect the environment and human health. Focusing on different areas such as biodiversity, forestry, company and financial law, the firm aims to change legislation and policies and influence how businesses report their impact on climate. An important part of the firm’s work includes making sure that environmental laws are implemented in the spirit of how they were written. |
| Standout | D2 Legal Technology | 28 | 9 | 10 | 9 | One of the first consulting firms to combine technology and the law to digitise legal documents for major financial institutions. |
| Standout | ASB Law | 26 | 9 | 9 | 8 | The firm reorganised itself away from legal practice areas into sales and delivery teams where success is measured by client satisfaction rather than fees and hours. |
| Standout | Fulcrum Chambers | 26 | 9 | 9 | 8 | A senior, multidisciplinary team of barristers, investigators and lawyers set up to work with clients on bribery and corruption issues. |
| Standout | Kennedy Van der Laan | 25 | 9 | 8 | 8 | The Netherlands-based firm has created an online platform through which all work and communications are conducted for its network of member firms in 22 jurisdictions so that its client Nike experiences them as a single law firm. |
| Highly commended | Capital Law | 24 | 8 | 9 | 7 | The first UK law firm to set up its own fund, worth £50m, to support commercial litigation cases for smaller claimants. |
| Highly commended | Three Crowns | 23 | 8 | 8 | 7 | Set up as an alternative to big law firms, this unique international arbitration boutique now has 40 solicitors and barristers. |
| Highly commended | Axiom | 22 | 7 | 8 | 7 | The next step in the firm’s flexible resourcing model enables general counsel to completely outsource their unpredictable staffing requirements. |
| Highly commended | Kindleworth | 22 | 7 | 7 | 8 | A supporter of many new-model legal businesses, Kindleworth enables start-ups by removing their management costs. |
| Highly commended | Synch Advokat | 22 | 8 | 8 | 6 | With no partnership structure, the firm shifts employees’ focus from profits to customer service for its tech start-up clients. |
| Commended | Gateley | 21 | 8 | 7 | 6 | In the year since it became the first UK law firm to list on Aim it has increased revenues and profits. |
| Commended | Hausfeld | 21 | 7 | 8 | 6 | The firm has taken the litigation finance model to Germany, to turn company in-house legal departments into profit centres. |
| Commended | McGuireWoods | 21 | 8 | 7 | 6 | The firm set up Green Lane, a network of eight law firms in Europe, and is the first to be able to give integrated, cross-border EU customs and trade legal advice. |
| Commended | PwC Tax & Legal Services | 21 | 6 | 8 | 7 | A multidisciplinary team that offers legal, tax, property and financial services to wealthy clients. |
| Commended | The Legal Director | 21 | 7 | 7 | 7 | For a monthly fixed fee, the company provides generalist lawyers to small and medium-sized businesses which cannot afford to hire staff lawyers. |
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