RANKED INDIVIDUALS
Hall of fame
To be considered eligible for the Hall of Fame, lawyers must be widely regarded as being at the very top of the profession, and to have been consistently ranked as leading individuals by The Legal 500 for a number of years. While in the past, elevation to the Hall of Fame was determined purely by reaching the requisite number of years as a leading individual, inclusion is now down to editor discretion.
Leading individuals – firms
Leading individuals are defined as true market leaders, with long-established reputations in their sector, lead roles in multiple recent significant matters, and exceptional, widespread recognition and endorsement from peers in the market and clients alike.
Leading silks – chambers
Leading silks are Queen’s Counsel who are considered to be true market leaders in their respective practice areas, instructed by leading firms in high-profile, complex, and high-value contentious and non-contentious matters. They will regularly appear in the higher courts, domestically and internationally, against other leading counsel and are recognised and endorsed by clients and peers alike.
Next generation partners – firms
These individuals are lawyers with (generally) five years or fewer at partner level, significant recognition from clients and peers in the market, and recent lead roles on multiple matters.
Leading juniors – chambers
Leading juniors are barristers of eight years’ call and above who are considered true market leaders in their respective practice areas, instructed by leading firms in high-profile, complex, and high-value contentious and non-contentious matters. They will regularly appear in the higher courts, domestically and internationally, led and unled, against other leading counsel and are recognised and endorsed by clients and peers alike.
Rising stars – firms
Rising stars are defined as associate-level lawyers who appear frequently in significant matters and are widely cited by peers and/or clients as having made major contributions to practices.
Rising stars – chambers
Rising stars at the Bar are defined as barristers between four and eight years’ call who are seen as up-and-coming members of the Bar in their respective practice areas by clients and peers alike. They will already be instructed in high-profile, complex, and high-value contentious and non-contentious matters, working with and opposite more experienced leading counsel.
RECOMMENDED INDIVIDUALS
All individuals mentioned in the editorial, either in firm write-ups, client testimonials, as heads of practice or other key lawyer listings, should be regarded as recommended lawyers in The Legal 500.