Full support for your ranking submission
Helping law firms improve their rankings since 2004
How do we go about preparing your complete submission documents for the rankings?
Law Business handles ranking submissions for law firms from end to end — from strategy through writing the matters to filing on time with Chambers and Partners, The Legal 500, JUVE, IFLR1000, IAM Patent 1000 and other directories. Since 2004, exclusively for the legal industry.
You provide raw data and approvals, we turn them into a submission ready to file. The effort on your side comes down to one step: adding keywords wherever the draft flags missing information.
If you write your submission yourself and only want it reviewed, the benchmarking check is the right route. If your team should be able to do it in future, our training and coaching helps. An overview of all ranking services is on the page Chambers & Co – law firm rankings.
Strategy and objectives
before the first sentence is written- We propose the ranking objectives — which practice areas first, which directories — and agree them with you.
- The focus of the submission is matched to the practice area definitions of the directory in question.
- We think in three horizons: the current cycle, the next twelve to eighteen months, and a three-year ambition.
- Leaving the objective open costs time, produces contradictions between practice groups and leads to a result nobody planned.
Initial data sorting
collecting and structuring the raw material- Earlier submissions, deals, references, pitches, informal emails — in German and/or English, sent to us by email.
- This applies to the submission and to the client referees alike.
- The earlier you collect matter data continuously, the better the submission. We will set up that collection with you on request.
First draft
written straight into the directory’s own form- We produce the first draft from your data — not in a separate Word document, but in the submission form of the directory itself.
- Wherever information is missing, precise notes state exactly what is needed.
- Your firm adds keywords. That is the only step that costs time on your side.
Second draft: texting
research, matter selection, native speakers- We write the entire submission and enrich your firm’s information with our own research, for instance figures on the size of the clients involved.
- We recommend which matters to use and in which order.
- The writing draws on best practices developed since 2004. Texts are produced with native speakers from the United Kingdom and the United States, France and Germany.
- After this step the submission is around 70 per cent complete; the client referee details are finalised here as well.
The craft of the matter
what tells a researcher that a case counts- The features that are looked for: cross-border jurisdictions, many parties involved and a high coordination effort, landmark decisions, novel commercial or legal structures, transaction value.
- Many submissions fail not because these features are absent — but because they are not made visible.
- Four rules for the wording: no marketing language, only verifiable statements, not overly legalistic, and stay within the length limits.
- Every matter follows the same structure: explain the facts and your own contribution, bring out what made it special, quantify, show the partners’ role. Confidential matters are anonymised without losing their substance.
Approval and filing
files ready for submission- Once you approve, we produce the cleaned-up files ready for submission.
- We upload them to the directory ourselves.
Reminders and project control
so the deadline never becomes the problem- With reminders — polite but firm — we make sure information and approvals arrive in time.
- You always know which feedback is still missing and how much time is left before the deadline.
Client referees
selection, preparation, draft answers- We look after your client referees and prepare draft answers for the directories’ questionnaires — per referee, per matter, ready to approve in minutes.
- We check whether the referees have actually received the questionnaire. If not, we approach the directory on your behalf.
- Whether a referee uses our draft is entirely up to them. Why guidance is needed nonetheless is shown by two genuine answers from our practice: “They charge like a herd of wounded elephants.” and “I cannot see anything bad about them — except that they are French.”
Lobbying with the directories
always on the basis of verifiable facts- We represent your position towards the rankings and create attention among the decision-makers. Coming from a third party this is considerably more effective than from the firm itself.
- Deadline extensions: if your own timetable cannot be moved, we negotiate the directory’s timetable on your behalf — usually with success.
- Query after a lower rating: where it is objectively not apparent why your firm was rated lower, we file a formal query, supported by a structured analysis of comparable firms and their development over time.
- The basis is long-standing relationships with the editorial teams — as documented in our interviews with Chambers and Partners, The Legal 500 and JUVE.
Directories we work with
a proven track record since 2004- Asia Law · Benchmark Litigation · Chambers and Partners · GAR 100 · IAM Patent 1000 · IFLR1000 · International Tax Review · JUVE · Latin Lawyer · Leaders League · Managing IP – IP STARS · The Legal 500 · WTR 1000
- Current deadlines are listed under ranking deadlines.
You only need the texts and manage the project yourself? Then submission texting is enough.
Frequently asked questions about submission support
What do we as a law firm have to provide?
Raw data in German or English — earlier submissions, deal lists, references, pitches, even informal emails. After that you add keywords in the draft where it is marked and approve the final version. That is all.
Do you file the submission with the directory as well?
Yes. Once you approve, we produce the files ready for submission and upload them to the directory.
We write our submission ourselves. Can you just review it?
Yes, that is what the benchmarking check is for. You receive a structured analysis with concrete suggestions for change — without any writing.
What is a follow-up submission?
The same practice area submitted to a further directory shortly after the first — Chambers, then Legal 500, for example. The data is carried over and adapted to the other form. Details under follow-up submission.
How many matters belong in a submission?
Fewer, but fitting ones. What counts is that the selected matters match the definition of the practice area and the strategic objective — not that the list is long.
Do we have to name client referees?
Yes, the directories require them. We prepare draft answers for the questionnaires and check whether your referees have received the survey at all.
What happens if we cannot meet the deadline?
We negotiate extensions with the directory on your behalf. As a rule we get them.
What if the rating turns out worse than expected?
Where that is objectively not apparent, we file a formal query with the ranking — supported by a structured analysis of comparable firms and their development over time.
Do you work in German or in English?
Both. The English texts are produced with native speakers from the United Kingdom and the United States; we also work in French and Italian.