Top law firms in the world: how our rankings identify them
There is no honest single list of the world's top firms. Here is how ours are found.
Photo: Olivie Zemanova / Unsplash
Leading firms, one market at a time
Lists of the top law firms in the world are usually ranked by revenue, headcount or the number of offices. Those figures say how large a firm is, not whether it is the right firm for a particular matter in a particular country. This page does not publish a worldwide top ten. It explains how our rankings identify leading firms, market by market, and where to find them.
A leading firm in our rankings is one that clients and peers confirm, in confidence, as a first choice for difficult work in its jurisdiction and practice area. That is the test for Band 1. Firms that hold that standing across several countries can earn the Regional Leader designation, and a Band 1 firm with verified leading work in three or more jurisdictions can be named Global Elite, the rarest designation we give. Each can be withheld in an edition.
Rankings are free and cannot be bought. Research software prepares each assessment from the evidence, an editor confirms every placement, and the full method is published. The 2026 results, published on 15 December 2026, are listed by country and by region. Until then, past editions and the methodology are the place to start.
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
01Which are the top law firms in the world?
It depends on the country and the work. Our results show the Band 1 firms for each jurisdiction and practice area, and the Global Elite and Regional Leader designations for firms that lead across borders.
02Is this list based on revenue or size?
No. Size is not a criterion. Placements rest on client and peer references, track record and verifiable evidence, weighted as set out in the methodology.
03Can a firm pay to appear?
No. Neither the research software nor the editors can see a firm's membership or payments. Members and non-members with the same evidence receive the same result.
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 law firm awards
- International lawyer awards
- International legal awards 2026
- Law firm rankings 2026
- Global law firm rankings
- Lawyer of the Year awards
Put your firm's work forward
Open to firms of every size, in every jurisdiction. No fee to enter.