Asia Pacific Submissions

Each ranking edition page serves as a dedicated gateway for firms preparing submissions for the upcoming guide research. Firms can explore the practice areas under review, understand the scope of research for that market, and access the templates and guidelines required for participation. Key deadlines for editorial submissions and client referees are clearly outlined, alongside links to the submissions portal and supporting materials.

Whether your firm operates in a single jurisdiction or across multiple markets, these pages set out the practice areas included in the research scope for the markets covered.

The research schedule and guidelines for Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2027 edition are now below.

Client referees deadline for law firms: Monday 8 June 2026

Editorial submission deadline for law firms: Monday 8 June 2026

Client referee and editorial submission deadline for the Bar: Friday 26 June 2026

Follow-up research will start on Monday 29 June 2026

Publication for China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan: Mid-November 2026

Publication for the Asia Pacific guide: Mid-January 2027

Bei Zhao

Asia Pacific - Editor

We will soon be starting research for the 2027 edition of
Legal 500 Asia Pacific, and invite you to provide us with editorial
submissions according to the attached guidelines.

Referees must reach us no later than Monday 8 June 2026. No
referee will be accepted after this date.

Submissions should reach us no later than Monday 8 June 2026.

The following guidelines will help you to prepare a submission.
Law firms appear in the editorial sections of Legal 500 free of
charge. Any queries regarding directory listings (ie paid-for
advertising entries) should be addressed to Chris Cooke ([email protected]) or Joanna Lee (email [email protected]).

If you have any queries, please contact us via legal500.com/
faqs, although you may first wish to check the Frequently Asked Questions.

Submissions should be concise and focus on what makes your practice stand out.

Providing referees isn’t required, but client and peer feedback is important to our research because it offers independent, third-party validation of your work.

Submissions Template

NB: This template is in .docx format. Do not resave it in any other format as it may not be compatible with our system.

Submissions Template - India City Focus

NB: This template is in .docx format. Do not resave it in any other format as it may not be compatible with our

Client Referee form - Law Firms

NB: This template is in .xslx format. Do not resave it in any other format as it may not be compatible with our system.

Submissions Template – The Bar

NB: This template is in .docx format. Do not resave it in any other format as it may not be compatible with our system

Referee form – the Bar

NB: This template is in .xslx format. Do not resave it in any other format as it may not be compatible with our system

Guidelines and Practical Resources for Submissions

Practice areas included in the research scope:

Law firms practice area definitions

    • Banking and finance
    • Capital markets: debt
    • Capital markets: equity
    • Capital markets: securitisation
    • Competition and trade
    • Corporate and M&A
    • Data protection and cyber security
    • Dispute resolution: litigation
    • Dispute resolution: arbitration
    • Dispute resolution: class actions
    • Energy (transactions and regulatory)
    • Environment and planning
    • Fintech and financial services regulatory
    • Infrastructure projects and construction
    • Insurance
    • Intellectual property
    • IT and telecoms
    • Labour and employment
    • Labour and employment: workplace health and safety (WHS)
    • Media and entertainment
    • Native title
    • Natural resources (transactions and regulatory)
    • Project finance
    • Real estate
    • Restructuring and insolvency
    • Tax
    • Transport: aviation
    • Transport: shipping
  • White-collar crime
  • Banking and finance
  • Corporate and M&A
  • Dispute resolution
  • Intellectual property
  • Tax
  • Leading firms
  • Leading firms
  • Antitrust and competition: PRC firms
  • Antitrust and competition: Foreign firms
  • Banking and finance: PRC firms
  • Banking and finance: Foreign firms
  • Capital markets: PRC firms
  • Corporate and M&A: PRC firms
  • Corporate and M&A: Foreign firms
  • Data protection: PRC firms
  • Data protection: Foreign firms
  • Dispute resolution: Arbitration – PRC firms
  • Dispute resolution: Litigation – PRC firms
  • Dispute resolution: Arbitration – Foreign firms
  • Dispute resolution: Litigation – Foreign firms
  • Fintech: PRC firms
  • Fintech: Foreign firms
  • Insurance: PRC firms
  • Insurance: Foreign firms
  • Intellectual property: Contentious – PRC firms
  • Intellectual property: Non-contentious – PRC firms
  • Intellectual property: Foreign firms
  • Investment funds: PRC firms
  • Investment funds: Foreign firms
  • Labour and employment: PRC firms
  • Labour and employment: Foreign firms
  • Life sciences and healthcare: PRC firms
  • Life sciences and healthcare: Foreign firms
  • Private equity: PRC firms
  • Private equity: Foreign firms
  • Private wealth: PRC firms
  • Projects and energy: PRC firms
  • Projects and energy: Foreign firms
  • Real estate and construction : PRC firms
  • Real estate and construction: foreign firms
  • Regulatory/compliance: PRC firms
  • Regulatory/compliance: Foreign firms
  • Restructuring and insolvency: PRC firms
  • Restructuring and insolvency: Foreign firms
  • Shipping: PRC firms
  • Shipping: Foreign firms
  • Tax: PRC firms
  • Tax: Foreign firms
  • TMT: PRC firms
  • TMT: Foreign firms
  • WTO/international trade: PRC firms
  • Other notable firms in Beijing
  • Other notable firms in Shanghai
  • Guangdong Province: Guangzhou and Shenzhen
  • Zhejiang Province: Hangzhou
  • Jiangsu province: Nanjing
  • Shaanxi Province: Xi’An
  • Sichuan province: Chengdu including Chongqing
  • Antitrust and competition
  • Asset finance (including aviation and shipping finance)
  • Banking and finance
  • Capital markets: Debt
  • Capital markets: Equity
  • Construction
  • Corporate (including M&A)
  • Data Protection and cyber security
  • Dispute resolution: : Litigation
  • Dispute resolution: International arbitration
  • Domestic and international corporate tax
  • Fintech and financial services regulatory
  • Insurance
  • Intellectual property
  • Investment funds
  • Labour and employment
  • Leading independent Hong Kong law firms
  • Offshore law firms
  • PRC firms in Hong Kong
  • Private equity
  • Private client and family
  • Projects and energy
  • Real estate
  • Regulatory: white-collar, compliance and investigations
  • Restructuring and insolvency
  • Shipping
  • Structured finance and securitisation
  • TMT
  • Antitrust and competition
  • Aviation (including aerospace and defence)
  • Banking and finance
  • Capital markets
  • Corporate and M&A
  • Data protection
  • Dispute resolution: litigation
  • Dispute resolution: arbitration
  • Fintech and financial services regulatory
  • Foreign firms
  • Insurance
  • Intellectual property
    • PATMA: Patent and trade mark attorneys
  • Investment funds NEW
  • Labour and employment
  • Life sciences and healthcare
  • Private client
  • Private equity (including venture capital) RENAMED
  • Projects and energy
  • Real estate and construction
  • Restructuring and insolvency
  • Shipping
  • Tax
  • TMT
  • WTO/international trade
  • White-collar crime

City focus – Bengaluru: Leading firms

City focus – Chennai: Leading firms

City focus – Hyderabad: Leading firms

City focus – Kolkata: Leading firms

City focus – Mumbai

  • Banking and finance
  • Commercial, corporate and M&A
  • Dispute resolution
  • Intellectual property
  • TMT
  • Real estate and construction

City focus – NCR (Delhi, Gurugram and Noida)

  • Banking and finance
  • Commercial, corporate and M&A
  • Dispute resolution
  • Intellectual property
  • Real estate and construction
  • TMT
  • Aviation
  • Antitrust and competition
  • Banking and finance
  • Capital markets
  • Corporate and M&A
  • Dispute resolution
  • Foreign firms
  • Intellectual property
  • Labour and employment
  • Projects and energy
  • Real estate and construction
  • Restructuring and insolvency
  • Shipping
  • Tax
  • TMT including Fintech
  • Antitrust and competition: International firms and joint ventures
  • Antitrust and competition: Independent local firms
  • Banking and finance : International firms and joint ventures
  • Banking and finance: Independent local firms
  • Capital markets: International firms and joint ventures
  • Capital markets: Independent local firms
  • Corporate and M&A: International firms and joint ventures
  • Corporate and M&A: Independent local firms
  • Dispute resolution: International firms and joint ventures
  • Dispute resolution: Independent local firms
  • Fintech: International Firms and joint ventures
  • Fintech: Independent Local firms
  • Intellectual property: International firms and joint ventures
  • Intellectual property: Independent local firms
  • Investment funds: Foreign firms
  • Investment funds: Independent local firms
  • Labour and employment: International firms and joint ventures
  • Labour and employment: Independent local firms
  • Private wealth: Independent local firms
  • Projects and energy – International firms and joint ventures
  • Projects and energy – Independent local firms
  • Real estate and construction: International firms and joint ventures
  • Real estate and construction: Independent local firms
  • Restructuring and insolvency: International firms and joint ventures
  • Restructuring and insolvency: Independent local firms
  • Risk management and investigations: Independent local firms
  • Shipping: Independent local firms
  • Sport: Independent local firms
  • Tax: International firms and joint ventures
  • Tax: Independent local firms
  • TMT: international firms and joint ventures
  • TMT: independent local firms
  • Leading firms
  • Leading firms
  • Antitrust and competition
  • Banking and finance including Islamic Finance
  • Capital markets
  • Corporate and M&A
  • Dispute resolution
  • Fintech and financial services regulatory
  • Foreign firms
  • Intellectual property
  • Labour and employment
  • Law firms in Sabah and Sarawak
  • Private client NEW
  • Projects and energy
  • Real estate and construction
  • Shipping
  • Tax
  • TMT
  • Leading firms
  • Leading firms
  • Corporate and M&A
  • Foreign desks
  • Projects and energy
  • Banking and finance
  • Competition law
  • Construction
  • Corporate and M&A
  • Data protection and cyber security
  • Dispute resolution
  • Insurance
  • Intellectual property
  • Investment funds
  • Labour and employment
  • Projects and resource management (including environment)
  • Real estate
  • Restructuring and insolvency
  • Tax
  • TMT
  • Transport (rail, road, air and sea)
  • Leading firms
  • Banking and finance (including Islamic finance)
  • Capital markets
  • Corporate and M&A
  • Dispute resolution
  • Insurance
  • Intellectual property
  • Labour and employment
  • Projects and energy
  • Real estate and construction
  • Tax
  • TMT
  • Leading firms
  • Antitrust and competition
  • Banking and finance
  • Capital markets
  • Corporate and M&A
  • Dispute resolution
  • Foreign firms
  • Intellectual property
  • Labour and employment (including immigration)
  • Projects and energy
  • Real estate and construction
  • Tax
  • TMT
  • Transport
  • Asset finance
  • Antitrust and competition: Local firms
  • Banking and finance: Foreign firms
  • Banking and finance: Local firms
  • Capital markets: Equity and debt – Foreign firms
  • Capital markets: Equity and debt – Local firms
  • Capital markets: Structured finance, derivatives and securitisation – Foreign firms
  • Capital markets: Structured finance, derivatives and securitisation – Local firms
  • Construction: Local firms
  • Construction: foreign firms
  • Corporate and M&A: Foreign firms
  • Corporate and M&A: Local firms
  • Data protection and cyber security: Foreign firm
  • Data protection and cyber security: Local firms
  • Dispute resolution
  • Energy: Foreign firms
  • Fintech and financial services regulatory: Foreign firms
  • Fintech and financial services regulatory: Local firms
  • Insurance: Foreign firms
  • Insurance: Local firms
  • Intellectual property: Local firms
  • International arbitration
  • Investment funds: foreign firms
  • Investment funds:  local firms
  • Labour and employment: Foreign firms
  • Labour and employment: Local firms
  • Offshore law firms
  • Private wealth and family law: Foreign firms
  • Private wealth and family law: Local firms
  • Projects: Foreign firms
  • Projects and energy: Local firms
  • Real estate: Local firms
  • Restructuring and insolvency: Foreign firms
  • Restructuring and insolvency: Local firms
  • Shipping: Foreign firms
  • Shipping: Local firms
  • Start-up and venture capital: Foreign firms
  • Start-up and venture capital: Local firms
  • Tax: Local firms
  • TMT: Foreign firms
  • TMT: Local firms
  • White-collar crime: Foreign firms
  • White-collar crime: Local firms
  • Antitrust and competition : Local firms
  • Banking and finance : Local firms
  • Capital markets: Local firms
  • Capital markets: Foreign firms
  • Corporate and M&A: Local firms
  • Corporate and M&A: Foreign firms
  • Dispute resolution: Local firms
  • Fintech and financial services regulatory
  • Insurance: Local firms
  • International arbitration
  • Intellectual property: Local firms
  • Intellectual property: Foreign firms
  • Labour and employment: Local firms
  • Projects and energy: Local firms
  • Projects and energy: Foreign firms
  • Real estate: Local firms
  • Regulatory: White-collar, compliance and investigations: local firms
  • Shipping: Local firms
  • Shipping: Foreign firms
  • Tax: Local firms
  • TMT: Local firms
  • Banking, finance and capital markets
  • Corporate and M&A
  • Dispute resolution
  • Intellectual property
  • Labour and employment
  • Projects and energy
  • Real estate and construction
  • Shipping
  • Tax
  • Antitrust and competition
  • Banking and finance
  • Capital markets
  • Corporate and M&A
  • Data protection
  • Dispute resolution
  • Insurance
  • Intellectual property
  • Intellectual property: Prosecution
  • Labour and employment
  • Real estate and construction, projects and energy
  • Shipping
  • Tax
  • TMT
  • Banking and finance
  • Capital markets
  • Corporate and M&A
  • Customs and international trade
  • Dispute resolution
  • Insurance
  • Intellectual property
  • International arbitration
  • Labour and employment
  • Projects and energy
  • Real estate and construction
  • Restructuring and insolvency
  • Transport
  • Tax
  • TMT
  • Banking and finance
  • Capital markets
  • Corporate and M&A
  • Data protection
  • Dispute resolution: Litigation
  • Dispute resolution: Arbitration
  • Foreign desks
  • Insurance
  • IP: International firms
  • IP: Local firms
  • Labour and employment
  • Projects and energy
  • Real estate and construction
  • Shipping and aviation
  • Tax
  • TMT
  • Commercial disputes
  • Competition
  • Construction, infrastructure and property
  • Crime and regulatory (including white-collar crime)
  • TMT and IP
  • Administrative and public law
  • Commercial disputes
  • Competition
  • Construction and property
  • Family and private client
  • Intellectual property
  • Labour and employment
  • Regulatory, investigations and crime

We’re excited to launch our new, streamlined Legal 500 submission portal, designed to make the entire process clearer, faster and easier to navigate.

To send your submissions to us, please visit submissions.legal500.com and follow the onscreen prompts to send us new documents.

Login details have been sent to all firms – if you have not received your login or have problems accessing submissions.legal500.com, please get in touch via our FAQ page.