Law firm rankings, decided on merit
Ranked by jurisdiction and practice area, from submissions and confidential references.
Photo: Osman Rana / Unsplash
Placed on the evidence, never on payment
We rank law firms one jurisdiction and one practice area at a time, on what a firm submits and on confidential references from the clients and peers who know its work. Being ranked is free.
Our research software scores each submission against six weighted criteria, and our editors review every draft: they can revise any score, band or rationale, or hold a ranking back. Neither the software nor the editors see a firm's membership, orders or payments, so a member and a non-member with the same evidence receive the same result. The full methodology is published.
How a placement is decided
Submissions, confidential references and comparative editorial judgement, run openly and decided on the merits of the work alone.
Submit
Firms submit a short set of work highlights and name client and peer referees. Open to firms of any size.
Reference
Our team gathers confidential feedback from clients and peers. Identities and quotes are always anonymised.
Assess
Each firm is scored against six weighted criteria, led by client feedback. Editors review every score, blind to any commercial relationship.
Publish
Firms are placed into bands by jurisdiction and practice area, each with a written, anonymised rationale.
A process we run, not a claim we make
Behind every placement sits a conflict-of-interest register. Where a reviewer has any tie to a firm, a former role or a personal or financial connection, it is recorded and that reviewer recuses. Advertisers and paying members are recorded there too.
- Independent. Researched without access to a firm's membership or payments.
- Open to all. Every firm can enter, whatever its size or budget.
- Published method. Our criteria and process are open for anyone to inspect.
- Confidential references. Client and peer feedback is anonymised; sources are never revealed.
Five bands, and eight designations
Firms are ranked Band 1 (highest) to Band 5 within each jurisdiction and practice area. It is a comparative, editorial judgement, not a purchasable threshold, and a band may be left empty.
- 01
Band 1
The firms the market turns to first for the hardest work.
- 02
Band 2
Consistently excellent, just below the leaders.
- 03
Band 3
Strong, well-regarded practices with clear strengths.
- 04
Band 4
Capable firms building a solid reputation.
- 05
Band 5
Recognised entrants worth watching.
- Global Elite
- Regional Leader
- National Leader
- Market Leader
- Highly Recommended
- Boutique of the Year
- Rising Star
- Firm to Watch
The inaugural rankings are being researched now
We are building the first cohort through submissions and confidential references, jurisdiction by jurisdiction. No firm can pay to appear here.
Results are held under embargo until publication day, 15 December 2026. Nothing appears on this page before then, and each ranked firm is told its result directly on that day.
Put your firm forward for the 2026 edition
Open to firms of every size, in every jurisdiction, and there is no fee to enter. Tell us where you practise and what you have done; our research team takes it from there, and may reach out for confidential client and peer references.
Each submission covers one practice area in one jurisdiction, with representative matters and at least two confidential referees. It takes about 20 minutes, saves as you go, and we can fill in your firm's details from its website.
Believe rankings should be earned, not bought? So do we.
Read the document our editors and research software work from, including the criteria, the evidence floor, conflicts, appeals and the annual calendar.