Best Lawyers and Handelsblatt Best Lawyers explained
Best Lawyers is a lawyer ranking based entirely on the assessment of other lawyers. The German-language edition appears every June with Handelsblatt and covers Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Unlike Chambers or the Legal 500 there is no submission form and no matter descriptions: firms are voted on, not submitted. This page explains how the process works and what a firm can actually do.
The essentials
- 1Voting, not submissionsAccording to Best Lawyers, recognition rests entirely on peer review — the voters are lawyers who are themselves recognised in the current edition.
- 2Taking part is freeBest Lawyers states that no fee may be paid to take part in the research or to be recognised. Recognised lawyers appear in the partner publications at no cost.
- 3The dates fall in winterFor the 2028 German edition, nominations close on 18 December 2026, voting runs from 11 January to 26 February 2027, and the public release is set for 10 June 2027.
How Best Lawyers works
How the process runs
Five steps- Best Lawyers sets out five steps: nomination, peer review, analysis of the feedback, eligibility check, release of the results.
- Recognition rests, in the publisher's own words, „entirely on peer review" — no submitted material is taken into account.
- For the 2027 German edition Best Lawyers reports 383,742 individual evaluations in that cycle alone.
Who votes, and on what
The single question- Only those already recognised may vote: lawyers in the current edition vote for the coming one.
- The question is, in substance: if you could not take a case yourself, how likely would you be to refer it to this nominee? Ratings run from 1 to 5, and half points are allowed.
- Ballots are tailored to the voter's practice area and region, they are confidential, and no one may vote on themselves.
Nomination
Who may put a name forward- Anyone already recognised is automatically nominated again — no action is required.
- Best Lawyers states that neither the nominator nor the number of nominations affects recognition, so a nomination campaign achieves nothing.
- The sources conflict here: the methodology page expressly allows self-nomination, the detailed methodology paper advises against it, and Handelsblatt rules out self-proposals for the German edition.
Cost
What is paid for and what is not- No fee may be charged or paid for recognition — Best Lawyers says so expressly.
- Recognised lawyers appear at no cost in the regional magazines and partner publications.
- Only additional marketing products for those already recognised are chargeable. Best Lawyers does not publish prices for them.
The awards
Lawyer of the Year, Ones to Watch- „Lawyer of the Year" goes to a single lawyer per practice area and region each year. The 2027 German edition contains 226 such awards.
- „Ones to Watch" covers younger practitioners: Best Lawyers says three to nine years in practice, Handelsblatt says three to eight.
- Only lawyers in private practice may be nominated; Best Lawyers does not accept in-house counsel.
The Handelsblatt edition
Germany, Austria, Switzerland- The list is compiled exclusively for Handelsblatt and covers Germany, Austria and Switzerland; Best Lawyers describes the partnership as running for 17 years.
- The 2027 edition recognises 7,086 legal professionals across 87 practice areas from 1,348 firms — according to Best Lawyers the top four per cent of the profession in Germany.
- For Austria the figures are 500 lawyers from 175 firms across 47 practice areas, roughly the top eight per cent.
Frequently asked questions
Can a firm apply to Best Lawyers?
Not in the sense of a submission. There is no form with matter descriptions as there is for Chambers or the Legal 500. Nominations can be made through the website or by email, and anyone already recognised is nominated again automatically. Whether recognition follows is decided solely by the vote among recognised lawyers.
Does recognition cost anything?
No. Best Lawyers states that no fee may be paid to take part in the research or to be recognised, and that recognised lawyers appear in the partner publications at no cost. Only additional marketing products offered to those already recognised are chargeable.
Is it worth collecting many nominations?
No. Best Lawyers expressly records that neither the identity of the nominator nor the number of nominations received has any effect on recognition. What counts are the peer review ratings.
When does a firm need to act?
For the 2028 German edition, nominations close on 18 December 2026. Voting runs from 11 January to 26 February 2027 and the public release is planned for 10 June 2027. Anyone who wants to feature in the process must therefore be nominated by December.
Why is the same list called both 2026 and 2027?
Best Lawyers counts the list published in June 2026 as the „2027 edition", while Handelsblatt calls the same list the best lawyers „of 2026". When quoting the award it is worth checking which count is meant.
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