International law firm awards
How firms that work across borders are assessed, jurisdiction by jurisdiction.
Photo: Krzysztof Hepner / Unsplash
Assessed where the work is done
An international law firm is rarely equally strong everywhere it has an office. The Global Law Awards 2026 reflect that. A firm is assessed separately in each jurisdiction and practice area it enters, so a corporate team in one country and a disputes team in another are each judged against the local firms doing the same work.
Cross-border strength is recognised through named designations with defined tests. Global Elite is for a Band 1 firm with verified leading work in three or more jurisdictions within the edition. Regional Leader is for a Band 1 or 2 firm leading in two or more jurisdictions of one region, with references from more than one of them. National Leader marks the firm with the strongest evidence base in a practice area within one country. Each designation may be withheld if no firm meets it.
Entering is free. A firm submits representative matters for each jurisdiction and practice area, names client and peer referees, and confirms a verifiable presence there. Our team gathers the references in confidence, and an editor confirms every placement. Results are published on 15 December 2026, including regional tables for Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Americas.
Four steps from submission to ranking
Put your firm's work forward. Our research team gathers the evidence, and editors make the final decision.
Submit your work
Tell us where your firm practises, describe representative matters in one practice area and name at least two client or peer referees.
We gather references
Our team contacts referees in confidence and checks what the firm says against public sources. A firm never sees what a referee said.
Your evidence is assessed
Research software drafts an assessment against six weighted criteria. An editor reviews the evidence and confirms every placement.
Results are published
Results are published on 15 December 2026. Every firm that entered is told its outcome directly.
Asked and answered
01Does a firm with many offices enter once or several times?
Once per jurisdiction and practice area it wants to be considered in. Each entry is assessed against the other firms in that market, so strength in one country does not carry a weaker team elsewhere.
02What is the difference between Global Elite and Regional Leader?
Global Elite needs Band 1 placement with verified leading work in three or more jurisdictions. Regional Leader needs Band 1 or 2 placement with leading work in two or more jurisdictions of one region. Both are withheld when no firm meets the test.
03Can network or association membership help a firm win?
No. Assessment reads only the submission, the references and the score. Membership of Global Law Lists or any network has no field in the decision.
More on the Global Law Awards
- Global Law Awards 2026Dates, criteria and how to enter
- Rankings and resultsBy jurisdiction and practice area
- The methodologyCriteria, evidence, conflicts and appeals
- Global legal awards
- International lawyer awards
- International legal awards 2026
- Law firm rankings 2026
- Global law firm rankings
- Lawyer of the Year awards
- Top law firms in the world
Put your firm's work forward
Open to firms of every size, in every jurisdiction. No fee to enter.