Frequently Asked Questions
SUBMISSIONS:
Q: Do we need to submit different forms per practice area?
A: No. We require one submission form, per firm. We invite you to share a
balanced variety of casework from different practice areas on the same submission form.
Q: Is there a limit to the number of cases we can provide? Is there a limit to the number of lawyers we can nominate?
A: We allow up to 20 case highlights per submission form. There is no limit to the number of lawyers you can nominate.
Q: Do you only rate those of ‘Partner’level?
A: That depends by region. See the breakdown below:
- Benchmark USA and Benchmark Canada only ranks Partners, and does not rank associates, senior statesmen, or counsel. This includes partners who have since been de-equitized.
Benchmark Europe only ranks Partners, and does not rank associates or senior statesmen. - Benchmark Asia-Pacific and Benchmark China primarily ranks Partners but outstanding associates are recognised in the ‘future stars’ lawyer rating category.
Q: Since the nature of litigation cases takes a long period of time, will it hurt our
submission if most of the case highlights are ongoing?
A: We encourage firms to provide a majority of case highlights that are resolved within the past 12 months so that we can assess the case in its completion and consider its success. We also welcome some ongoing case work as well, especially if it is novel or innovative in nature.
Q: Should we list confidential cases/clients? How do we ensure these remain
confidential?
A: Yes. We encourage firms to provide as much detail as possible including on confidential cases/clients. We ask that you mark any confidential information on the submission form in RED. We will not publish any confidential information and will only use this information for internal understanding and analysis purposes.
Q: Can I send information in another format?
A: Submissions can be submitted in either Word or PDF format. All firms must use the submission form and client referee templates provided to structure their information.
Q: Would a firm get disqualified if no client referee list is submitted?
A: No. A client referee submission is not mandatory. However, the client feedback collected is used to support the firm submission, round out our understanding and determine the quality of the legal services provided.
Q: Do we need to submit different referee forms for different practice areas?
A: No, we only need ONE referee document per firm.
Q: Should we wait until the submission documents are submitted to schedule an
interview?
A: Interviews are coordinated on a first-come, first-served basis. We encourage firms to respond to email inquiries and marketing campaigns to timely schedule their interviews and, on occasion, that can be before submissions have been provided.
Q: How do we get an in-person interview?
A: In-person interviews are welcomed. Simply contact your regionally research contact and request one, and, depending on the travel schedule and availability of our researchers, we can arrange one.
Q: We would like additional lawyers to be considered for designation. How can we
nominate them?
A: There are two ways to nominate lawyers: a) the submission form and b) the practitioner survey. The Practitioner Survey serves as a way for lawyers – both already ranked and seeking-to-be-ranked to showcase additional work highlights that support their nomination. We encourage firms to share the survey link with lawyers who wish to be considered. Dates specific to the practitioner survey will be shared on our website in due course.
Q: Is there a way to alert our clients ahead of the Client Survey so that can be alert for its arrival?
A: Yes. We notify law firms in advance of the survey launch so you can notify your clients. We do urge you to remind your clients to check all spam folders.
Q: Are the client and practitioner surveys compulsory?
A: Our research is made up of a three-pronged system: a) case highlights b) peer review and c) client feedback. While surveys are not compulsory, we encourage clients and firms to complete them to make their views known and to underscore the case highlights within the submission form.
Q: Our clients say they have not received the Client Survey email. What should we do?
A: Please email us if clients have not received our survey emails. We will arrange for a re-send if time allows.
Q: Our clients did not respond to the Client Survey by the deadline. What happens next?
A: While we send reminders about the client survey, we do not follow up after the deadline. We respect that clients may not want to participate and will not proceed any further. Their details are kept confidential, and we do not use them outside of this client survey request.
AWARDS
Q: How do we nominate cases for awards? Is there a separate submission process for that?
A: There is NOT a separate submission process for awards. If you wish to nominate casework for consideration into our awards program, we invite you to include the information in the ‘awards nominations work highlights’ section of this submission form.
Q: Who determines the nominees and winners for the awards?
A: The Benchmark research team, including its Head of Research, will assess all
submissions to determine the nominees and to collectively determine the winners for each category.
Q: Is there a list of available award categories?
A: Categories are determined based off what the research data reflects. We reserve the right to amend the categories each year.
Q: Will the same cases be used to evaluate firm and individual award categories?
A: Yes. Casework provided in the ‘awards nominations work highlights’ section of the form will be for the firm, individual, and impact case categories.
Q: If we have nominated three cases in the Awards section, do we have to include them again in the work highlights section as well?
A: No. We treat your most important cases as those in the awards nomination section and will review those first. There is no need to repeat the awards case information in the 20 work highlights afterwards.
RESULTS
Q: Does every firm that submits receive a ranking placement/lawyer recognition?
A: No. We do not guarantee a ranking placement or lawyer recognition. Through notable casework, we require firms to prove they are doing notable litigious work in the relevant practice areas to be included on any firm or lawyer rankings.
Q: How much influence do we have over our ratings vs. the external market?
A: Firms are encouraged to tell their story via our research form and through interviews. We then measure the firm’s input against the feedback we receive via studying the market. If our studies are in harmony with the firm’s assertions, we weight them equally. If there is an extreme disparity between the firm’s views and a pronounced percentage of the market, we will provide greater weight to the market consensus.
Q: We’re a small boutique firm – what chance do we stand against the big brand name firms in your ratings?
A: Because Benchmark focuses exclusively on disputes, which is often the focus for specialist firms in the market, boutique firms stand a very good chance of being just as highly rated as large corporate firms.
Q: Can I review my firm’s editorial coverage in advance and suggest changes to it?
A: No. Firms cannot be allowed to view their editorials prior to press, and are never allowed to have their own input into how they read.
Q: What is the readership of Benchmark Litigation?
A: The readers of Benchmark Litigation include – but is not limited to - law firms, in-house counsel and buyers of legal services.
Q: How does Benchmark Litigation differ from Chambers & Partners, Legal 500 or other competitors?
A: Benchmark Litigation focuses exclusively on dispute resolution and litigation. This allows us to provide a much more in-depth analysis of the market.
Q: We would love to profile our firm and/or lawyers on your website. How do we do
that?
A: Please contact us and we will connect you with our Publishers who can detail the ways you can add value to your research results and get involved.
Q: If I don’t commercially support the publication, do I still get rated?
A: Any firm or practitioner can appear in the publication so long as there is substantiating case work and market feedback to warrant the inclusion. Firms cannot pay to appear in the guide as Benchmark Litigation is not “pay-to-play”
Updated January 2025