United Kingdom (Solicitors) Submissions

THE LEGAL 500 UNITED KINGDOM SUBMISSION PROCESS

Researchers

Researchers list – London

Researchers list – The Regions

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To learn more about the team behind our research, please visit Meet The Legal 500 Team.

UK outside London deadline: Friday 9 February 2024

London and PATMA deadline: Friday 22 March 2024

Please note you can submit at any point before these final deadlines.

The template documents you will need to send submissions are now below:

Submissions template
Referee spreadsheet NB: This template is in .xslx format. Do not resave it in other format as it may not be compatible with our system.

Mediator submissions template
Mediator referee spreadsheet NB: This template is in .xslx format. Do not resave it in other format as it may not be compatible with our system.

The deadline for UK and US litigation funding submissions is 22 March 2024.

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Litigation funding submission template
Litigation funding referee spreadsheet NB: This template is in .xslx format. Do not resave it in other format as it may not be compatible with our system.

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To send your submissions to us, please visit submissions.legal500.com and follow the onscreen prompts to send us new documents.

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Guidelines

UK regions outside London
Law firms in London

Frequently asked questions
Referees explained
Practice area definitions

Practice areas

The UK Legal 500 Solicitors guide 2025 will publish in autumn 2024 – below is an explanation of all of the most significant changes for this year’s research, which are also highlighted in red in the practice list at the bottom of this page.

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New additions

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In London, we are adding a number of new rankings to the guide (please note: as there are no regional equivalents for these new rankings, firms that do not have an office in London are welcome to submit for these rankings if they are carrying out work of a similar level to that of peer firms based in London.)

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ESG – this section will rank firms with dedicated environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) practices or specialist ESG practitioners, covering a broad spread of regulatory, corporate, finance and contentious work. The introduction of this category will mean that our environment ranking, which sits in the real estate chapter, will return to a tighter focus on land and property-related matters.

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Artificial intelligence – for the first time we will be ranking firms with dedicated AI teams/practitioners. Please note that in the first instance, we will be restricting this ranking to those with an established track record of work and true expertise in AI, rather than firms dipping their toes into the area amid its recent rise in prominence.

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Immigration: personal – alongside our immigration: business and immigration: human rights categories, we are introducing a third personal sub-category to recognise the firms advising private clients with a focus on high-net-worth individuals, senior businesspeople and high-profile public figures. The former Immigration: human rights, appeals and overstay category has been amended to just immigration: human rights to reflect that change. Cases involving human rights issues where the client is a HNWI or a senior businessperson will fall under the new personal sub-category.

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Renewables – while renewables has to date been covered within our Power (including electricity, nuclear and renewables) ranking, the increasing prominence of renewables and green energy means it now merits a standalone section. The Power (including electricity and nuclear) ranking will remain, but please do not include renewables work here – that is now covered by the new section.

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Fintech – we are splitting our fintech ranking into two to better reflect the different types of firms in this ranking – fintech: corporate and commercial and fintech: regulatory.

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Changes

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As well as our environment ranking now being more real estate focused, and renewables being given its own ranking separate from power, another key change is an adjustment to the value bands for London private equity, with firms aiming to be ranked for premium needing to demonstrate that the majority of submitted matters are worth at least £500m. Deals below £500m now fall under mid-market.

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During research last year we adjusted the focus of our two infrastructure categories to more clearly distinguish between firms and lawyers handling transactional matters (infrastructure: M&A and acquisition finance) and infrastructure projects work (infrastructure: project finance and development).

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Outside London

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This year we are introducing a civil fraud ranking in the West Midlands crime chapter to recognise the firms handling such work, distinct from more general crime and fraud.

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Our projects rankings across the UK regions are now consistent – all rankings are now titled energy and projects, with PFI removed. Any ongoing PFI work can still be included as those contracts continue to expire.

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EAST ANGLIA PRACTICE AREAS

Corporate and commercial
- Corporate and commercial: Cambridge
- Corporate and commercial: elsewhere in East Anglia
- Corporate and commercial: Norwich
- Corporate tax
Crime, fraud and licensing
- General crime and fraud
- Licensing
Dispute resolution
- Commercial litigation: Cambridge
- Commercial litigation: elsewhere in East Anglia
- Commercial litigation: Norwich
- Debt recovery
Employment
- Employment
- Health and safety
- Immigration
- Pensions
Finance
- Banking and finance
- Insolvency and corporate recovery
Insurance
- Personal injury and clinical negligence: claimant
- Personal injury and clinical negligence: defendant
- Professional negligence
Private client
- Agriculture and estates
- Charities and not-for-profit
- Contentious trusts and probate
- Family
- Personal tax, trusts and probate: Cambridge
- Personal tax, trusts and probate: elsewhere in East Anglia
- Personal tax, trusts and probate: Norwich
Public sector
- Public sector
Real estate
- Commercial property: Cambridge
- Commercial property: elsewhere in East Anglia
- Commercial property: Norwich
- Construction
- Planning and environment
- Property litigation
- Social housing
TMT (technology, media and telecoms)
- Biotechnology
- Intellectual property
- IT and telecoms
- Media, entertainment and sport
Transport
- Transport and shipping

EAST MIDLANDS PRACTICE AREAS

Corporate and commercial
- Corporate and commercial: elsewhere in the East Midlands
- Corporate and commercial: Nottingham and Derby
Crime, fraud and licensing
- General crime and fraud
- Licensing
Dispute resolution
- Commercial litigation: elsewhere in the East Midlands
- Commercial litigation: Nottingham and Derby
- Debt recovery
Employment
- Employment
- Immigration
Finance
- Banking and finance
- Insolvency and corporate recovery
Insurance
- Personal injury and clinical negligence: claimant
- Personal injury and clinical negligence: defendant
- Professional negligence
Private client
- Agriculture and estates
- Charities and not-for-profit
- Contentious trusts and probate
- Family
- Personal tax, trusts and probate
Projects, energy and natural resources
- Energy and projects
Public sector
- Public sector
Real estate
- Commercial property: elsewhere in the East Midlands
- Commercial property: Nottingham and Derby
- Construction
- Planning and environment
- Property litigation
- Social housing
TMT (technology, media and telecoms)
- Intellectual property
- IT and telecoms
- Sport

NORTH PRACTICE AREAS

Corporate and commercial
- Corporate and commercial: Newcastle
- Corporate and commercial: elsewhere in the North
- Corporate tax
Crime, fraud and licensing
- General crime and fraud
- Licensing
Dispute resolution
- Commercial litigation: elsewhere in the North
- Commercial litigation: Newcastle
- Debt recovery
Employment
- Employment
- Pensions
Finance
- Banking and finance
- Insolvency and corporate recovery
Insurance
- Personal injury and clinical negligence: claimant
- Personal injury and clinical negligence: defendant
- Professional negligence
Private client
- Agriculture and estates
- Charities and not-for-profit
- Contentious trusts and probate
- Family
- Personal tax, trusts and probate
Projects, energy and natural resources
- Energy and projects
Public sector
- Education
- Health
Real estate
- Commercial property: elsewhere in the North
- Commercial property: Newcastle
- Construction
- Planning and environment
- Property litigation
- Social housing
TMT (technology, media and telecoms)
- Intellectual property
- IT and telecoms
- Media and entertainment

NORTH WEST PRACTICE AREAS

Corporate and commercial
- Corporate and commercial: elsewhere in the North West
- Corporate and commercial: Liverpool
- Corporate and commercial: Manchester
- Corporate tax
- EU and competition
Crime, fraud and licensing
- General crime and fraud
- Licensing
Dispute resolution
- Banking litigation
- Commercial litigation: elsewhere in the North West
- Commercial litigation: Liverpool
- Commercial litigation: Manchester
- Debt recovery
Employment
- Employment
- Employment: employee/union firms
- Health and safety
- Immigration
- Pensions
Finance
- Banking and finance
- Insolvency and corporate recovery
Insurance
- Clinical negligence: claiman
- Clinical negligence: defendant
- Personal injury: claimant
- Personal injury: defendant
- Professional negligence
Private client
- Agriculture and estates
- Charities and not-for-profit
- Contentious trusts and probate
- Family
- Personal tax, trusts and probate
Projects, energy and natural resources
- Energy and projects
Public sector
- Education
- Health
- Local government
Real estate
- Commercial property: elsewhere in the North West
- Commercial property: Liverpool
- Commercial property: Manchester
- Construction
- Planning and environment
- Property litigation
- Social housing
TMT (technology, media and telecoms)
- Intellectual property
- IT and telecoms
- Media and entertainment
- Sport
Transport

NORTHERN IRELAND PRACTICE AREAS

Corporate and commercial
- Corporate and M&A
Dispute resolution
- Dispute resolution
Employment
- Employment
Finance
- Banking and finance
- Insolvency and corporate recovery
Insurance
- Personal injury and clinical negligence: claimant
- Personal injury and clinical negligence: defendant
Private client
- Personal tax, trusts and probate
Projects, energy and natural resources
- Energy and projects
Real estate
- Commercial property
- Construction
- Planning and environment
TMT (technology, media and telecoms)
- Intellectual property
- IT and telecoms

OFFSHORE PRACTICE AREAS

Guernsey
- Banking and finance
- Capital markets
- Commercial property
- Corporate and M&A
- Dispute resolution
- Employment
- Insurance
- Investment funds
- Private client, trusts and tax
Isle of Man
- Banking, finance and capital markets
- Commercial property
- Corporate and commercial
- Dispute resolution
- Employment
- Gambling
- Insurance and pensions
- Private client, trusts and tax
- Shipping and aviation
Jersey
- Banking and finance
- Capital markets
- Commercial property
- Corporate and commercial
- Dispute resolution
- Dispute resolution: regulatory and white-collar crime
- Employment
- Family
- Investment funds
- Private client, trusts and tax

SCOTLAND PRACTICE AREAS

Corporate and commercial
- Corporate and commercial: Edinburgh and Glasgow
- Corporate and commercial: elsewhere in Scotland
- Corporate tax
- EU and competition
Crime, fraud and licensing
- Crime: fraud
- Crime: general
- Licensing
Dispute resolution
- Commercial litigation
- Debt recovery
Employment
- Employment
- Health and safety
- Immigration
- Pensions
Finance
- Banking and finance
- Insolvency and corporate recovery
- Investment funds
Insurance
- Medical negligence: defender
- Medical negligence: pursuer
- Personal injury: defender
- Personal injury: pursuer
- Professional negligence
Private client
- Agriculture and estates
- Charities and not-for-profit
- Contentious trusts and probate
- Family
- Personal tax, trusts and executries
Projects, energy and natural resources
- Energy (excluding oil and gas)
- Oil and gas
- Projects
Public sector
- Education
- Health
- Local government
- Parliamentary and public affairs
Real estate
- Commercial property: elsewhere in Scotland
- Commercial property: Edinburgh and Glasgow
- Construction
- Environment
- Planning
- Property litigation
- Social housing
TMT (technology, media and telecoms)
- Intellectual property
- IT and telecoms
- Media and entertainment
- Sport
Transport

SOUTH EAST PRACTICE AREAS

Corporate and commercial
- Corporate and commercial: Beds, Bucks, Herts, Middx
- Corporate and commercial: Essex
- Corporate and commercial: Hampshire
- Corporate and commercial: Kent, Surrey, Sussex
- Corporate and commercial: Thames Valley, Berks, Oxon, M4/M40
- Corporate tax
Crime, fraud and licensing
- General crime and fraud
- Licensing
Dispute resolution
- Commercial litigation: Beds, Bucks, Herts, Middx
- Commercial litigation: Essex
- Commercial litigation: Hampshire
- Commercial litigation: Kent, Surrey, Sussex
- Commercial litigation: Thames Valley, Berks, Oxon, M4/M40
- Debt recovery
Employment
- Employment: Beds, Bucks, Herts, Middx
- Employment: Essex
- Employment: Hampshire
- Employment: Kent, Surrey, Sussex
- Employment: Thames Valley, Berks, Oxon, M4/M40
- Health and safety
- Immigration
- Pensions
Finance
- Banking and finance
- Insolvency and corporate recovery
Insurance
- Clinical negligence: claimant
- Clinical negligence: defendant
- Personal injury: claimant
- Personal injury: defendant
- Professional negligence
Private client
- Agriculture and estates
- Charities and not-for-profit
- Contentious trusts and probate
- Family: Beds, Bucks, Herts, Middx
- Family: Essex
- Family: Hampshire
- Family: Kent, Surrey, Sussex
- Family: Thames Valley, Berks, Oxon, M4/M40
- Personal tax, trusts and probate: Beds, Bucks, Herts, Middx
- Personal tax, trusts and probate: Essex
- Personal tax, trusts and probate: Hampshire
- Personal tax, trusts and probate: Kent, Surrey, Sussex
- Personal tax, trusts and probate: Thames Valley, Berks, Oxon, M4/M40
Public sector
- Public sector
Real estate
- Commercial property: Beds, Bucks, Herts, Middx
- Commercial property: Essex
- Commercial property: Hampshire
- Commercial property: Kent, Surrey, Sussex
- Commercial property: Thames Valley, Berks, Oxon, M4/M40
- Construction
- Environment and planning
- Property litigation
- Social housing
TMT (technology, media and telecoms)
- Intellectual property
- IT and telecoms
- Media and entertainment
- Sport
Transport
- Shipping

SOUTH WEST PRACTICE AREAS

Corporate and commercial
- Corporate and commercial: Bristol
- Corporate and commercial: Dorset, Devon and Cornwall
- Corporate and commercial: Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire
- Corporate tax
- EU and competition
Crime, fraud and licensing
- General crime and fraud – COMBINED
- Licensing
Dispute resolution
- Commercial litigation: Bristol
- Commercial litigation: Dorset, Devon and Cornwall
- Commercial litigation: Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire
- Debt recovery
Employment
- Employment: Bristol
- Employment: Dorset, Devon and Cornwall
- Employment: Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire
- Health and safety
- Immigration
- Pensions
Finance
- Banking and finance
- Insolvency and corporate recovery
Insurance
- Clinical negligence: claimant
- Clinical negligence: defendant
- Personal injury: claimant
- Personal injury: defendant
- Professional negligence
Private client
- Agriculture and estates
- Charities and not-for-profit
- Contentious trusts and probate
- Family
- Personal tax, trusts and probate
Projects, energy and natural resources
- Energy and projects
Public sector
- Education
- Health
- Local government
Real estate
- Commercial property: Bristol
- Commercial property: Dorset, Devon and Cornwall
- Commercial property: Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire
- Construction
- Environment
- Planning
- Property litigation
- Social housing
TMT (technology, media and telecoms)
- Intellectual property
- IT and telecoms
- Media and entertainment
- Sport
Transport
- Shipping

WALES PRACTICE AREAS

Corporate and commercial
- Corporate and commercial
Crime, fraud and licensing
- General crime and fraud
Dispute resolution
- Commercial litigation
- Debt recovery
Employment
- Employment
- Health and safety
- Immigration
- Pensions
Finance
- Banking and finance
- Insolvency and corporate recovery
Insurance
- Clinical negligence: claimant
- Clinical negligence: defendant
- Personal injury: claimant
- Personal injury: defendant
- Professional negligence
Private client
- Agriculture and estates
- Charities and not-for-profit
- Contentious trusts and probate
- Family
- Personal tax, trusts and probate
Public sector
- Public sector
Real estate
- Commercial property
- Construction
- Planning and environment
- Property litigation
- Social housing
TMT (technology, media and telecoms)
- Intellectual property
- IT and telecoms
- Media and entertainment
- Sport

WEST MIDLANDS PRACTICE AREAS

Corporate and commercial
- Corporate and commercial: Birmingham
- Corporate and commercial: elsewhere in the West Midlands
- Corporate tax
Crime, fraud and licensing
- Civil fraud
- General crime and fraud
Dispute resolution
- Banking litigation
- Commercial litigation: Birmingham
- Commercial litigation: elsewhere in the West Midlands
- Debt recovery
Employment
- Employment
- Health and safety
- Immigration
- Pensions
Finance
- Banking and finance
- Insolvency and corporate recovery
Insurance
- Clinical negligence: claimant
- Clinical negligence: defendant
- Personal injury: claimant
- Personal injury: defendant
- Professional negligence
Private client
- Agriculture and estates
- Charities and not-for-profit
- Contentious trusts and probate
- Family: Birmingham
- Family: elsewhere in the West Midlands
- Personal tax, trusts and probate
Projects, energy and natural resources
- Energy and projects
Public sector
- Education
- Health
- Local government
Real estate
- Commercial property: Birmingham
- Commercial property: elsewhere in the West Midlands
- Construction
- Environment
- Planning
- Property litigation
- Social housing
TMT (technology, media and telecoms)
- - Intellectual property
  - IT and telecoms
Transport

YORKSHIRE AND THE HUMBER PRACTICE AREAS

Corporate and commercial
- Corporate and commercial: Hull and East Yorkshire
- Corporate and commercial: Leeds, West Yorkshire, North Yorkshire
- Corporate and commercial: Sheffield, South Yorkshire
- Corporate tax
- EU and competition
Crime, fraud and licensing
- General crime and fraud
Dispute resolution
- Banking litigation
- Commercial litigation: Hull and East Yorkshire
- Commercial litigation: Leeds and West Yorkshire; North Yorkshire
- Commercial litigation: Sheffield, South Yorkshire
- Debt recovery
Employment
- Employment: Hull and East Yorkshire
- Employment: Leeds and West Yorkshire; North Yorkshire
- Employment: Sheffield and South Yorkshire
- Health and safety
- Pensions
Finance
- Banking and finance
- Insolvency and corporate recovery
Insurance
- Clinical negligence: claimant
- Clinical negligence: defendant
- Personal injury: claimant
- Personal injury: defendant
- Professional negligence
Private client
- Agriculture and estates
- Charities and not-for-profit
- Contentious trusts and probate
- Family: Leeds and West Yorkshire; North Yorkshire
- Family: Elsewhere in Yorkshire
- Personal tax, trusts and probate
Projects, energy and natural resources
- Energy and projects
Public sector
- Education
- Health
- Local government
Real estate
- Commercial property: Hull and East Yorkshire
- Commercial property: Leeds and West Yorkshire; North Yorkshire
- Commercial property: Sheffield, South Yorkshire
- Construction
- Environment
- Planning
- Property litigation
- Social housing
TMT (technology, media and telecoms)
- Intellectual property
- IT and telecoms
- Sport
Transport

LONDON PRACTICE AREAS

- Corporate and commercial
  - Commercial contracts
  - Corporate tax
  - Customs and excise
  - Equity capital markets – small-mid cap
  - Equity capital markets – mid-large cap
  - EU and competition
  - EU and competition: trade, WTO anti-dumping and customs
  - Financial services: contentious
  - Financial services: non-contentious/regulatory
  - International business reorganisations
  - M&A: Smaller Deals, £10m-£100m – BANDING CHANGE
  - M&A: Lower Mid-Market Deals, £100m-£750m – BANDING CHANGE
  - M&A: Upper Mid-Market And Premium Deals, £750m+ – BANDING CHANGE
  - Partnership
  - Private equity: transactions – high-value deals (£500m+)
  - Private equity: transactions – mid-market deals (up to £500m)
  - VAT and indirect tax
  - Venture capital
- Crime, fraud and licensing
  - Crime: general
  - Fraud: civil
  - Fraud: white-collar crime (advice to individuals)
  - Gaming and betting
  - Licensing
  - Private prosecutions
- Dispute resolution
  - Banking litigation: investment and retail
  - Commercial litigation: mid-market
  - Commercial litigation: premium
  - Commodities disputes
  - Competition litigation
  - Costs lawyers
  - Debt recovery
  - Group litigation (claimant)
  - International arbitration
  - Mediators
  - Professional discipline
  - Public international law
  - Tax litigation and investigations
- Employment
  - Employee share schemes
  - Employees/unions
  - Employers
  - Health and safety
  - Immigration: business
  - Immigration: human rights
  - Immigration: personal
  - Pensions: non-contentious
  - Pensions: dispute resolution
  - Senior executives
- Finance
  - Acquisition finance
  - Asset based lending
  - Bank lending: investment grade debt and syndicated loans
  - Corporate restructuring and insolvency
  - Debt capital markets
  - Derivatives and structured products
  - High yield
  - Islamic finance
  - Securitisation
  - Trade finance
  - Transport finance and leasing
- Industry focus
  - Emerging markets
  - Hospitality and leisure
  - Life sciences and healthcare
  - Retail and consumer
  - TMT
- Insurance
  - Clinical negligence: claimant
  - Clinical negligence: defendant
  - Insurance and reinsurance litigation
  - Insurance litigation: for policyholders
  - Insurance: corporate and regulatory
  - Personal injury: claimant
  - Personal injury: defendant
  - Product liability: claimant
  - Product liability: defendant
  - Professional negligence
- Investment fund formation and management
  - Fund finance
  - Hedge funds
  - Listed funds
  - Private funds
  - Real estate funds
  - Retail funds
- Irish firms in London
- Offshore firms in London
- Private client
  - Agriculture and estates
  - Art and cultural property
  - Charities and not-for-profit
  - Contentious trusts and probate
  - Court of protection
  - Family
  - Family: mediation
  - Personal tax, trusts and probate
- Projects, energy and natural resources
  - Infrastructure: M&A and acquisition finance
  - Infrastructure: Project finance and development
  - Mining and minerals
  - Oil and gas
  - Power (including electricity, nuclear and)
  - Renewables
  - Water
- Public sector
  - - Administrative and public law
    - Civil liberties and human rights
    - Education: individuals
    - Education: institutions
    - Education: schools
    - Electoral
    - Healthcare
  - Infrastructure (parliamentary)
  - Local government
- Real estate
  - Commercial property: corporate occupiers
  - Commercial property: development
  - Commercial property: investment
  - Construction: contentious
  - Construction: non-contentious
  - Environment
  - Planning
  - Property finance
  - Property litigation
  - Residential property
  - Social housing: finance
  - Social housing: local authorities and registered providers
  - Social housing: tenant
- Risk advisory
  - Corporate governance
  - Data protection, privacy and cybersecurity
  - ESG
  - Regulatory investigations and corporate crime (advice to corporates)
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms)
  - Artificial intelligence
  - Fintech: corporate and commercial
  - Fintech: regulatory
  - Franchising
  - Intellectual property: patents (contentious and non-contentious)
  - Intellectual property: trade marks, copyright and design
  - IT and telecoms
  - Media: Advertising & marketing
  - Media: Digital content & social
  - Media: Film & TV
  - Media: Media finance
  - Media: Music
  - Media: Theatre, publishing and other media
  - Media: Video games
  - PATMA: Patent attorneys
  - PATMA: Trade mark attorneys
  - Reputation management
  - Sport
- Transport
  - Aviation
  - Rail
  - Shipping
  - Travel: personal injury
  - Travel: regulatory and commercial