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Cross-border M&A team of the year

By a:1:{i:0;s:1:" ";} | December 11, 2008

Cross-border deals are arguably the ultimate test for today's global law firm and this award - a new category - attracted heavyweight entries. Linklaters fought off intense competition to take the prize, thanks in no small part to its role advising Royal Bank of Scotland on its consortium acquisition of ABN Amro. Although the deal may have turned sour for the client, it was nevertheless the largest takeover in financial services history and a supreme test of Linklaters' ability to deliver multi-jurisdictional advice. The firm fielded some 400 lawyers across 24 offices to seal the transaction, which was the most prominent among a series of headline-making deals.
Litigation and regulatory team of the year

By a:1:{i:0;s:1:" ";} | December 11, 2008

The economic downturn has turned the spotlight away from transactional departments and towards litigation and regulatory teams. The judges chose White & Case to receive this year's award on the back of its extraordinary caseload. Arguably the most important case was the successful House of Lords appeal by former Morgan Crucible chief executive Ian Norris over the US Department of Justice's attempts to extradite him by re-characterising price-fixing as conspiracy to defraud.
Young corporate counsel of the year

By a:1:{i:0;s:1:" ";} | December 11, 2008

This year's award was dominated by a range of high quality entrants, with the shortlisted lawyers all working to the highest standards to ensure that their legal team deliver value to the businesses. Alex Thrower, legal affairs director at pharmaceutical supplier Teva, showed great imagination in her efforts to bring the legal team closer to the business. She made the lawyers 'friends of the business' by embedding a dedicated member of the legal team in each of the company's business units. She also organised online training modules in order to help staff right across the business.
Regional firm of the year

By a:1:{i:0;s:1:" ";} | December 11, 2008

All of the firms in this category produced outstanding financial performances in 2007-08. Birmingham-based Martineau grew turnover by 12% but even more impressively, saw its profits per equity partner jump by 50% to £260,000. The firm's success has been driven by its sector focus and client wins, notably in the educational field where the firm is a market-leader. Martineau's climate change portal - www.climatechange-forum.co.uk - also catches the eye.
Chambers of the year

By a:1:{i:0;s:1:" ";} | December 11, 2008

Among the entries for this award, Blackstone stood out for its continued excellence, particularly in its core areas of commercial, employment and public law, where its tenants have appeared in many of the year's key cases. The judges also noted the significant headway the set has made in the European Union (EU) and competition law field. Monckton Chambers is another leader in EU and competition work, with tenants making 21 appearances before the European Court of Justice, thought to be the highest number by any set over the period. Its strategy to focus on this area - as well as commercial and regulator judicial reviews, procurement and VAT - has clearly paid off. The figures speak for themselves as the set has seen turnover increase by 26% over the last year and the number of instructions by 21%.
General counsel of the year

By a:1:{i:0;s:1:" ";} | December 11, 2008

Managing legal costs, establishing a close-knit legal team and ensuring the company is working to the highest possible ethical standards, were some of the issues dealt with this year by general counsel. Man Group general counsel Stephen Ross was shortlisted for the award for his work managing legal costs and demonstrating his team's value by highlighting its productivity and contributions to the business. The legal team also played an important role in helping the company offset carbon emissions as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives.
Property team of the year

By a:1:{i:0;s:1:" ";} | December 11, 2008

It is a sign of the times that this year's winner, Forsters, secured the crown on account of its strength in property litigation rather than its transactional activity. The panel was impressed by the team's innovative work in relation to leasehold enfranchisement, where it appeared in the House of Lords and the Court of Appeal. Clients are appreciative - "their commitment to us was fantastic and it felt like a real team effort, not a traditional lawyer/client relationship" was one admiring comment. Revenues for the property litigation team also grew by 38%.
In-house team of the year

By a:1:{i:0;s:1:" ";} | December 11, 2008

This award sets out to recognise the achievements of an in-house team working in a specific field. Tesco and BT Global Services made the shortlist for their contribution to corporate social responsibility. Tesco's team is working hard on a number of fronts to help fulfil chief executive Sir Terry Leahy's vision to share the company's success with the communities its stores are based in. The in-house team's work has ranged from participation in the College of Law's mentoring scheme to spending a rain-swept winter's day digging and clearing a feeding area for birds at Lee Valley Regional Park.
Best use of technology

By a:1:{i:0;s:1:" ";} | December 11, 2008

The launch of Eversheds' Global Accounting Management System (GAMS) could not have been better timed. A matter management tool developed by the firm originally for global manufacturing group Tyco, the system hands clients much greater control over their legal spend at a time when every pound counts. The extensive range of management information provided in a consistent format means clients can identify trends and anomalies - one client, for example, was able to establish that the businesses in one of its countries were litigating excessively. Eversheds claims GAMS' deployment reduced Tyco's fees by 30% within six months.
Young solicitor of the year

By a:1:{i:0;s:1:" ";} | December 11, 2008

The standard of entries for this award are almost always exceptionally high. The judges were extremely impressed with the calibre of the finalists this year and felt that all demonstrated very high levels of technical ability and leadership potential. Carol Lim Apel from Hammonds is developing a burgeoning reputation in the field of nuclear decommissioning and renewable energies. Qualified in Singapore, the UK and the US, she played a key role in successfully guiding an international consortium through the tender process for the first contract to be awarded by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority. The ongoing work involved with the project is genuinely deserving of that frequently over-used epithet, groundbreaking.

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