Welcome to Benchmark Labor & Employment – the definitive guide to the region’s leading litigation law firms and lawyers.
Benchmark Litigation has been in the market since 2008. We exclusively cover the litigation and disputes markets and aim to provide law firm and lawyer rankings on the market’s most important cases and firm developments.
Research is conducted through extensive interviews with litigators, dispute resolution specialists and their clients to identify the leading litigators and firms. During these interviews, we examine recent contentious casework handled by law firms and ask individual litigators to provide their professional opinions on peers and practitioners within their jurisdiction or practice area.
2022 research has begun!
See below for details on how to participate and more.
Research timeline
• RESEARCH BEGINS – February 2022
• SUBMISSION DEADLINE – Friday April 29
• RESEARCH INTERVIEWS (firms and client referees) – February to Mid-June
• RANKINGS AND EDITORIAL PUBLISHED – September 2022
How to take part?
1. Create an Accreditation Portal Account HERE. You will need to create an account to submit this year.
Please note: To successfully submit, please allow about 15 seconds for a drop-down menu to appear in the Company and Country Section of the registration form.
2. Download & complete this year's RESEARCH FORM
3. Download & complete this year's CLIENT/PROFESSIONAL REFERENCES TEMPLATE
4. Upload your documents to the ONLINE SUBMISSION PORTAL.
Please mark confidential information in RED and indicate clearly if the case is wholly or partially confidential. If partially, please specify what elements. Any information provided may be published, except where indicated.
Please include the details of key cases handled since January 2021. For those submitting in the Benchmark US questionnaire, please include labor and employment specific information in the Labor and Employment section only. Labor and employment cases highlighted in the main questionnaire may not be considered for the Labor & Employment guide.
Client Referee Form
The Client Referee Template allows you to provide us with basic contact details of clients the firm has worked with recently. We contact these clients as part of our research to get feedback on your firm and lawyers. Client contact details provided are treated as confidential. The answers provided by clients are 'not for attribution' and we do not publish or reveal client details.
Labor & Employment Lawyer Survey
The Lawyer Survey for this year's Labor & Employment edition will be launched in March 2022. This year's survey will includerelevant quesitons about COVID-19 litigation. The deadline for the L&E Lawyer Survey is Friday, June 10. Access the survey here.
What we publish
We publish law firm and lawyer rankings and accompanying editorial in print and online.
We aim to cover a wide range of issues related to labor and employment, including, but not limited to:
• Employee Discrimination/Title VII
• Wage & Hour
• Class/Collective Actions
• Sexual Harassment
• Internal Investigations
• Arbitrations
• "Gig Economy"
• FLSA Litigation
• Social Media/First Amendment
• Trade Secrets Litigation
• Unions and Collective Bargaining
• Labor Relations
• PAGA Litigation
• Whistleblower Litigation
• Medical Marijuana
• EEOC and NLRB Proceedings
Why take part?
• Editorial coverage in the guide
• Accurate and in-depth representation of your firm’s dispute resolution activities
• Exposure to our global readership at the world’s most significant corporations and financial institutions
• No cost involved in participating in the research
Methodology
Our law firm rankings are based on three key criteria:
Case evidence
In each research cycle we ask firms to provide recent case highlights and this is used to determine their position in the market. Firms should provide their most complex and interesting cases in the research form and explain clearly to our research team why they are important and what they tell us about the firm’s abilities.
Peer feedback
Peer feedback is a key component of our interview formats. All partners active in the relevant research categories are invited to take part and we also conduct phone interviews with practitioners. We also conduct an online LAWYER SURVEY of law firm partners to get their thoughts and feedback on our current law firm rankings and leading lawyers. This survey, while optional, is for all currently ranked stars, as well as those who seek nomination in our guide.
Client feedback
We speak to a wide range of corporate and in-house contacts as part of our Client Feedback Survey to get their opinions on the firms and lawyers they use, and the quality of those services. Clients are contacted via email with a brief survey.
Labor & Employment Stars
Alongside our firm rankings we also recognize the work of outstanding Labor & Employment individuals. Our recommendations are based on the same three factors as our law firm rankings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I send information in another format?
Yes, as long as the information we ask for is provided you can submit in any word or PDF format.
How does Benchmark differ from Chambers or other competitors?
Benchmark focuses exclusively on dispute resolution and litigation. This allows us to provide a much more in-depth analysis of the market. Benchmark is also editorially driven, rather than statistically driven, and strives to avoid being over-inclusive. We aim to cover only firms and litigators that are of an elite status.
How much influence do we have over our ratings vs. the external market?
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.
If we participate, are we guaranteed to get rated and/or have commentary?
All firms who submit and can prove they are doing notable work in the relevant practice areas will receive some form of editorial coverage, however we do not guarantee rankings or lawyer ratings.
Should we list confidential cases/clients? How do we ensure these remain confidential?
You can provide confidential clients/cases if you feel we should be aware of these, and we will certainly be respectful of confidential agreements – please mark confidential information clearly, ideally in RED.
When/how do you contact client referees?
We contact all client referees provided to us via email and invite them to take part in an online client survey. The survey asks clients about the firms they use, why they use them, what they use them for and how long they have been using them. The information provided by clients is confidential though we do publish non-attributed client quotes in the guide.
Do you only rate those of partner level?
We primarily rank partners but outstanding senior associates are recognized as well.
We’re a small boutique firm – what chance do we stand against the big brand name firms in your ratings?
Because Benchmark focuses exclusively on disputes, which is often the focus for specialist firms in the market, smaller firms stand a very good chance of being just as highly rated as large corporate firms, and in some cases even more highly rated.
How do we get an in-person interview?
In-person interviews are welcomed if schedules permit. Simply contact us and request one, and, depending on the schedule flexibility of our researchers, we can arrange one.
Should I wait until the firm questionnaire is complete before scheduling partner interviews?
There is no need to wait, as the interviews are not about going through the submission again. Interviews allow lawyers to tell our researchers their stories in general personal summary form, and provide us with the feedback that we require regarding peer review, market trends, in-house counsel references, etc.
Can I review my firm’s editorial in advance of press and suggest changes to it?
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.
What is the readership of Benchmark?
The readers of Benchmark include law firms and buyers of legal services/in-house counsel.
Is Benchmark "pay-to-play?" If I don’t support the project financially do I still get rated?
Benchmark is absolutely not "pay-to-play." Firms cannot pay to appear in the guide, and can only be rated if the market deems them worthy of consideration.
I have a question that’s not answered here. Can I contact anyone to ask it?
Labor & Employment Research Analyst, Brittany Sharoff at brittany.sharoff@euromoneyny.com
Head of Business Development, Rebecca Synnott:rebecca.synnott@euromoneyny.com
Editor, Michael Rafalowich at mrafalowich@euromoneyny.com