For law firms, rankings by international directories such as Chambers Europe and The Legal 500 are like the Olympus of the legal services world – everyone wants to be listed there. But when it comes to the path, in which the perfect submission is one of the most essential elements, only the most persistent can make it.
It’s like a giant jigsaw puzzle where every piece has to fall into place. This is why the preparation of applications is often a challenge, as the process requires knowledge, careful preparation, and a methodical approach. Because it’s not just about delivering the big wins – behind the scenes, there is a lot of hard work going on, from the detailed analysis of the projects to the selection of the most appropriate client references to the small but significant nuances that can make all the difference to the final assessment.
These practical difficulties make the process so complex, which is why, in addition to experience and knowledge, digital tools are equally important for effectively managing all aspects of the submissions.
The value of ratings for B2B law firms
Let’s start with rankings. According to Neringa Petraukskaitė, partner and strategist at the specialised marketing agency for law firms – BOUND (by We Are Marketing) with 18 years of experience in legal marketing, rankings have become a measure of market standards. This tool quite objectively assesses and compares law firms providing legal services. “They are a benchmark to measure how each market player meets professional standards and where it stands in the competitive landscape. Law firms are aware of the importance of these rankings and are working to ensure their results are reflected in decision-makers’ minds, so the rankings have become an integral part of their marketing communications. This explains why so much attention is paid to the mention and public communication of the rankings after they are published in the market today,” says Neringa.
What determines success in rankings?
The rankings are based on submissions by law firms, who are asked to indicate their achievements – i.e., the most significant, most innovative or most outstanding projects, name the clients they work with, and describe the changes in the team. According to Nerginga Petrauskaitė, this is no easy task – each piece of data submitted must be well thought out and structured to convince the researchers of the firm’s professionalism and leadership. There isn’t a single “right” way to present information to researchers. Whether your content will help you achieve your goal depends largely on whether you set a clear, rational, and measurable objective. Before preparing any content for submission, you should ask yourself questions such as: What ranking are you aiming for? What specifically (in terms of scope of activity, niche expertise, etc.) do you want to be recognised for? How do you want to position yourself and your practice? How many lawyers and who do you expect to be ranked to support your desired practice positioning? These considerations should shape not only your entire application but also the feedback on competitors, the clients you select for testimonials, and other related elements.
It is often the opinions of clients that determine the final ranking and have a major impact on the firm’s assessment. However, the challenge here is ensuring clients respond to the researchers’ request and you feel the temperature of the feedback they are going to provide.
Digital ally for effective prep work
Given the amount of diligence, time and strategic thinking that goes into the preparation of submissions for the legal directories, it is clear that this is more than just filling in paperwork. Every detail – from the description of key projects, value of the transaction or claim, to the list of client contacts – must be accurately organised and easily accessible. But when details are scattered among emails, different versions of files and scattered locations of saved files, it is expected to face greater challenges than initially anticipated.
That is where digital tools like Crespect come in – it can be your team’s best ally in this challenging journey to rankings. Crespect helps you organise all relevant information systematically, manage tasks efficiently, keep track of deadlines and avoid the chaos that often arises during the busy preparation phases. So, if you want to make the ranking ambition a smooth project rather than a detective’s hunt for information, it is time to look at modern digital solutions that can be a real boost and give you a competitive edge.
How can Crespect help to make the submission process more stress-free?
Task and deadline management
Effectively manage tasks and deadlines: prioritise, delegate tasks to team members and keep track of progress conveniently. This systematic approach helps to coordinate work and, most importantly, ensures that no detail goes unnoticed. Besides keeping track of the application process, these tools allow you to allocate responsibilities among team members seamlessly.
Transaction experience – comprehensive and structured data handling
The intelligent legal management system allows you to describe closed transactions in both English and the local language immediately after closing, thus saving time and reducing the likelihood of translation errors. Moreover, it is possible to note who among the customers could be a probable future reference, thus avoiding the chaos of collecting contacts during the submissions preparation process. The ability to describe the value of transactions, the level of confidentiality, the practice area and the sector group ensures that all information is easily accessible and ready for the proper submissions.
Centralised data management and analysis
All data is stored in one place, making it easy for law firms to analyse, filter and provide the best examples for rating applications. Centralised data management reduces the risk of errors and allows you to react quickly to changes or client needs, which is particularly important in the run-up to ratings. Furthermore, Crespect makes recycling of already written and securely stored credentials way easier. Next time the team needs to prepare for a public tender or build a flashy offer for a client in a particular business, with easy filtering opportunities, the lawyer will have quick access to the nicely written descriptions without the need to ask around or dig in prehistoric folders on an abandoned server.
Technology thus contributes to success in rankings
Digital tools give law firms a new performance standard by organising data and tasks efficiently and ensuring accurate submission preparation. They reduce the risk of errors and allow complex information flows to be easily managed, making the ranking pursuit process no longer a burden but a structured and controlled project.
Discover the Crespect legal practice management system, designed to meet all law firm needs in one solution. Book a demo to learn more: info@crespect.com
