Several readers have asked how the research for Legal Week‘s 2005 Awards was carried out. It has been a major operation because of how high the bar has been set. From the start, it was decided the awards, to be presented on 30 November, would be distinguished from the typical industry backslapping by two elements: the use of clear criteria and a lengthy process of interviewing senior clients and lawyers.
For the private practice section, five journalists at Legal Week began gathering information in September, calling on their own contacts and published material to draw up longlists of candidates. Additional information was gleaned from credible research sources, including the International Financial Law Review and data providers such as Mergermarket. The team also drew on Legal Week Intelligence’s 125-page Client Satisfaction Survey, which canvassed senior lawyers at more than 200 Ftse companies on their experiences of individual law firms.
