SPECIALISMS

• Corporate: The law firm of the year active in the corporate law sector in Belgium.
• Bank & Finance: The law firm of the year active in Banking law and/or Finance law sector in Belgium.
• Competition & Anti-Trust: The law firm of the year active in the competition law and Ant-Trust sector in Belgium.
• Tax: The law firm of the year active in the Tax law sector in Belgium.
• Employment : The law firm of the year active in the Employment law sector in Belgium.
• Real Estate & Construction: The law firm of the year active in the Real Estate law and/or the Construction law sector in Belgium.
• IP, IT & TMT : The law firm of the year active in Intellectual Property and in the Technology, Media & Telecommunication law sector in Belgium.
• Litigation & Arbitration : The law firm of the year active in Alternative Dispute Resolution and/or Arbitration in Belgium.
• Environment, energy & regulatory firm of the year: The law firm of the year active in Environment, energy & regulatory law sector in Belgium.

OVERALL

• Belgian Firm: The law firm of the year having an office on the Belgian territory, including offices, branches or firms members of a national or international network.
• Regional Firm Flanders: The law firm of the year having its head office or main seat in Flemish Region, with the exclusion of Brussels. The jury will recognize outstanding performance within the specific regional market.
• Regional Firm Wallonia: The law firm of the year having its head office or main seat in the Walloon Region. The jury will recognize outstanding performance within the specific regional market.
• US Law Firm in Brussels: law firm of the year having the bulk of their lawyers based in the United States. The winner will have shown significant progress in building a presence in Brussels. The jury will look both at the ability to develop a European hub and a presence on the local market. Judges will look at key transactions during the year, success in recruitment both in terms of recent additions and integration of foreign lawyers in the US firm.
• Managing Partner: The managing partner of a law firm in Belgium who has showed best leadership, brought major new ideas and initiatives, achieved solid positioning for his/her firm/department, strong ability to communicate. Although we will take a long view, their performance over the course of the last 12 months will strengthen their nomination.
• Best firm to work for: The winner will be the best law firm to work for. The law firm having an office on the Belgian territory, including offices, branches or firms members of a national or international network which has conducted the best partnership/employment policy.
• Highest potential law firm of the year: The “Highest Potential Law Firm of the Year” rewards a small or medium sized law firm which has shown significant progress in building a presence on the Belgian market. The jury will look both at growth criteria, innovation both in terms of clients approach and positioning on the market, new ideas/initiatives in terms of services brought to the market/clients or communication.
• Marketing team of the year: Rewards the best achievement carried out in the area of marketing and communication by a law firm. This can include innovative approach and move for the legal market, effective marketing structuring within the firm, new methods to improve the communication and relations with clients and prospects, successful advertising campaign, pro bono initiatives,…  

IN-HOUSE LEGAL DEPARTMENTS

• Most innovative legal department: This prize rewards a legal department which has contributed to the awareness within its company or group of companies of important legal matters or compliance with law.