Ranking Report Germany | Law Business

Three strategies — and where they work

From the Chambers data for Germany, we have identified three strategies firms can use to reach their ranking goals. For each, we have created a dedicated table that shows the opportunities per practice area in concrete terms — distinguishing between firms of different sizes. Each card takes you straight to the relevant table.

Strategy 1

New Entry

Your firm is not yet ranked in a practice area and wants to break in for the first time. What matters: where is the competition thin?

What the index shows

In some practice areas the field is so sparsely populated that a new entry is far more realistic than elsewhere. The index shows where.

To the New Entry table →

Strategy 2

Advancement

Your firm is already ranked and wants to move up a band. What matters: where is there room at the top, because the firms below are bunched up?

What the index shows

In some practice areas the top is surprisingly open — moving up is more realistic than you might think. The index shows where.

To the Advancement table →

Strategy 3

Cross-Practice Entry

Your firm is ranked in one practice area and wants to enter others. What matters: which practice areas appear together at comparable firms? Select practice areas below → instantly see the easiest combinations.

What the index shows

Firms that are already ranked break into certain further practice areas particularly easily. The index shows which ones.

To the Cross-Practice table →

All information is provided without warranty; Law Business accepts no liability for completeness, accuracy or any particular outcome.

New Entry: In which practice areas is entry easy?

For when your firm is not yet ranked in a practice area.

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The Law Business Ranking Opportunity Index^© (New Entry) combines several market factors — including the number of already ranked firms and the density of the field — into a comparative value (scale 0–100). The higher the value, the more realistic a new entry.

#	Practice Area	Law Business Ranking Opportunity Index^©	Opportunity / Strategy
1	Transportation: Shipping: Finance	92.0	Clear Priority
2	Insurance: Transactional	86.8	Clear Priority
3	Private Equity: High End	86.8	Clear Priority
4	Healthcare	81.5	Clear Priority
5	Transportation: Rail & Aviation Asset Finance	81.5	Clear Priority
6	Construction	78.9	Promising
7	Capital Markets: Debt	78.0	Promising
8	Capital Markets: Structured Finance	78.0	Promising
9	Commercial Contracts	78.0	Promising
10	Projects	78.0	Promising
11	TMT: Telecommunications	78.0	Promising
12	Corporate/M&A: High-end Capability	77.3	Promising
13	International Trade/WTO	76.2	Promising
14	Investment Funds	76.2	Promising
15	Insurance	73.6	Promising
16	Private Equity: Mid Cap	73.6	Promising
17	Private Equity: Venture Capital	73.6	Promising
18	Banking & Finance: Regulatory	71.0	Promising
19	Capital Markets: Equity	71.0	Promising
20	Public Law: Planning and Environment	71.0	Promising
21	Transportation: Shipping	71.0	Promising
22	Tax	68.9	Promising
23	Compliance	65.8	Promising
24	Real Estate: Finance	65.8	Promising
25	TMT: Information Technology	65.8	Promising
26	Banking & Finance	64.7	Worth Considering
27	Dispute Resolution: White-Collar Crime: Corporate Advisory	63.1	Worth Considering
28	Competition/European Law	62.6	Worth Considering
29	Intellectual Property: Patent Attorneys: Contentious	60.5	Worth Considering
30	Life Sciences	60.5	Worth Considering
31	TMT: Media	60.5	Worth Considering
32	Dispute Resolution: White-Collar Crime: Defence Counsel	58.4	Worth Considering
33	Employment	58.4	Worth Considering
34	Public Law	57.9	Worth Considering
35	Restructuring/Insolvency: Administration	57.9	Worth Considering
36	Intellectual Property: Patent Litigation	52.6	Worth Considering
37	Intellectual Property: Trade Mark & Unfair Competition	52.1	Worth Considering
38	Restructuring/Insolvency	52.1	Worth Considering
39	Energy	50.0	Worth Considering
40	Litigation	50.0	Worth Considering
41	TMT: Data Protection	50.0	Worth Considering
42	Intellectual Property: Patent Prosecution	44.8	Challenging
43	Real Estate	44.8	Challenging
44	Public Law: Public Procurement/PPP	39.5	Challenging
45	Arbitration	37.4	Challenging
46	Corporate/M&A: Mid-Market	15.0	Highly Contested

Advancement: In which practice areas is moving up easy or hard?

For when your firm is already ranked and wants to move up a band.

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The Law Business Ranking Opportunity Index^© (Advancement) assesses how much room a practice area offers to move up (scale 0–100). The higher the value, the more realistic a band advancement.

#	Practice Area	Law Business Ranking Opportunity Index^©	Opportunity / Strategy
1	Private Equity: Mid Cap	92.0	Clear Priority
2	Intellectual Property: Patent Prosecution	89.6	Clear Priority
3	Public Law: Public Procurement/PPP	89.0	Clear Priority
4	Public Law	87.2	Clear Priority
5	TMT: Data Protection	85.4	Clear Priority
6	Restructuring/Insolvency	81.3	Clear Priority
7	Employment	78.6	Promising
8	Energy	78.6	Promising
9	Healthcare	75.8	Promising
10	Life Sciences	75.8	Promising
11	Intellectual Property: Trade Mark & Unfair Competition	75.5	Promising
12	Transportation: Shipping	75.5	Promising
13	Corporate/M&A: Mid-Market	73.5	Promising
14	Arbitration	73.2	Promising
15	Litigation	72.8	Promising
16	Real Estate: Finance	72.1	Promising
17	Construction	70.9	Promising
18	Dispute Resolution: White-Collar Crime: Corporate Advisory	69.1	Promising
19	TMT: Information Technology	69.1	Promising
20	Real Estate	68.4	Promising
21	Investment Funds	67.3	Promising
22	Compliance	65.5	Promising
23	Intellectual Property: Patent Litigation	65.5	Promising
24	Banking & Finance	65.1	Promising
25	Competition/European Law	64.6	Worth Considering
26	Capital Markets: Equity	64.3	Worth Considering
27	Public Law: Planning and Environment	64.3	Worth Considering
28	Commercial Contracts	63.7	Worth Considering
29	Insurance	63.7	Worth Considering
30	Projects	63.7	Worth Considering
31	TMT: Media	63.7	Worth Considering
32	TMT: Telecommunications	63.7	Worth Considering
33	Dispute Resolution: White-Collar Crime: Defence Counsel	62.8	Worth Considering
34	Tax	62.8	Worth Considering
35	Transportation: Shipping: Finance	61.0	Worth Considering
36	International Trade/WTO	58.3	Worth Considering
37	Restructuring/Insolvency: Administration	58.3	Worth Considering
38	Intellectual Property: Patent Attorneys: Contentious	54.7	Worth Considering
39	Insurance: Transactional	51.7	Worth Considering
40	Corporate/M&A: High-end Capability	48.4	Worth Considering
41	Capital Markets: Structured Finance	45.7	Worth Considering
42	Banking & Finance: Regulatory	42.1	Challenging
43	Private Equity: Venture Capital	39.7	Challenging
44	Capital Markets: Debt	36.7	Challenging
45	Private Equity: High End	21.6	Highly Contested
46	Transportation: Rail & Aviation Asset Finance	15.0	Highly Contested

Cross-Practice Entry: How easily can you enter a further practice area when you are already ranked in one?

For when your firm is already ranked and wants to enter further practice areas.

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What is this? When your firm is ranked in one practice area, it breaks into certain further practice areas particularly easily — because comparable firms are ranked there too.

See for yourself: Tick below the practice areas in which you are already ranked — multiple selections possible. The Law Business Ranking Opportunity Index^© (Cross-Practice) shows which further practice areas are the most natural to enter (scale 0–100).

#	Cross-Practice Area	Law Business Ranking Opportunity Index^©	Opportunity / Strategy

You now know your opportunities — what is the next step?

Knowing where the opportunities lie is half the battle. Getting there requires a distinct approach for each strategy:

New Entry

Choose the right practice area and position the submission so that it becomes visible from the outset — the first appearance shapes perception for years.

Advancement

Target the band above with precision — through the right selection and presentation of your matters. One band higher noticeably changes external perception.

Cross-Practice Entry

Use your existing position as leverage to enter the next practice area — with significantly less effort than a first-time launch.

And: the right strategy looks different for every firm — a boutique proceeds differently from a mid-sized or an internationally positioned firm. That very assessment is what we work through with you. Law Business has been advising firms since 2004 on exactly these decisions — talk to us in a cost-free initial consultation.

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