Clifford Chance, CMS, DLA Piper and Eversheds Sutherland are among the firms vying to be named Law Firm of the Year at the British Legal Awards 2018.

Last year's winner, Fieldfisher (pictured) and City bellwethers Macfarlanes and Travers Smith, which both recorded double-digit increases in profit per equity partner in the last financial year, complete the line-up for the top award on the shortlist, which is unveiled today.

The awards will take place on 29 November at Finsbury Square, London, and see a host of leading UK and international law firms competing for honours across a range of categories including International Law Firm of the Year, the Legal Services Innovation Award and Boutique Law Firm of the Year, as well as 13 practice area awards.

Other firms featuring heavily in the shortlist include Hogan Lovells, Ashurst, Baker McKenzie and White & Case, which is shortlisted in the International Law Firm of the Year category alongside firms including Latham & Watkins and Dentons.

Competing to be named Legal Department of the Year are Barclays, Dentsu Aegis Network, Fircroft, Markerstudy Group, RBS Employment Law Practice, Trainline and Virgin Media.

The Chambers of the Year will be chosen from among: 3 Paper Buildings, Essex Court Chambers, Keating Chambers, Quadrant Chambers, Radcliffe Chambers, Selborne Chambers and Wilberforce Chambers.

The judging panel, which is chaired by City of London Law Society chair Edward Sparrow, includes BAE Systems group general counsel Philip Bramwell, former Herbert Smith Freehills CEO Sonya Leydecker, Heathrow GC Carol Hui, Facebook associate GC Caroline Kenny and ASOS group legal director Anna Suchopar.

Last year's winners included Kennedys, which scooped UK Law Firm of the Year, Linklaters, which secured M&A Team of the Year (Large Deal) for its work advising National Grid on the sale of a majority stake in its gas distribution network, and CMS senior partner Penelope Warne, who took home The Editor's Award for Law Firm Leader of the Year.

The awards will mark the culmination of LegalWeek Connect, a two-day conference now in its second year, that will see a host of law firm leaders, general counsel, and technology and innovation heads meet to debate the future of the legal profession.

Click here to read the full shortlist