FT North America Innovative Lawyers 2022 open for submissions

The 2022 FT Innovative Lawyers North America report is open for submissions, in which we explore the key trends and transformations taking place in the legal sector.

The accompanying FT Innovative Lawyers North America awards event will be held in person on Thursday, December 8 in New York.

Submissions 

Private practice categories

Law firms are invited to make a maximum of eight submissions across seven categories. Submissions will be assessed by RSGI using benchmarks, interviews, surveys and other research.

The overall ranking of the most innovative law firms in North America will be based on the aggregate score for each firm’s top ranked submissions, plus a score for the firm’s use of data and technology. After the submission deadline, submitting firms will be asked to complete a short questionnaire about their use of technology and data.

Business of law: submissions are invited from law firms on any initiatives or projects relating to law firm strategy, management or operations. This could include new business, resourcing or delivery models, firm-wide digital or transformation programmes, new ways of working with clients, or other firm-wide business innovations. (One submission per firm)

Practice of law: submissions are invited from teams working in any legal practice with specific examples or case studies that demonstrate the changing practice of law. The submissions should show how lawyers have bridged professional disciplines, created new standards, delivered outstanding outcomes for clients or created new practice areas, with originality and impact. (Two submissions per firm)

Individual practitioners: submissions are invited for individual legal practitioners who are leading innovation within their firm or practice. The submissions should show how the individual has changed the way legal work is done, how they have influenced their firms, industry, business or wider society, and how they are changing the way the firm works with its clients. Please note that individuals who have already been profiled as individuals in a previous FT Innovative Lawyers report are not eligible for this category. (One individual per firm)

Individual leader: submissions are invited for individual leaders. This includes managing and senior partners, chairs or chief executives. They must show a record of innovation and impact within their organisations, in driving growth and financial performance, changing culture and behaviours, or driving innovation or firm-wide transformation. Please note that individuals who have already been profiled as innovative leaders in a previous FT Innovative Lawyers report are not eligible for this category. (One individual per firm)

Individual change maker: submissions are invited for individuals who have acted as change makers within the firm. This could include but is not limited to C-suite leaders and departmental heads, and heads of innovation and transformation. We are interested in intrapreneurs who have helped their firms change culture, behaviours, processes, and adapt to be more relevant to their people and clients. Please note that individuals who have previously been profiled as innovative change makers or leaders in a previous FT Innovative Lawyers report are not eligible for this category. (One individual per firm) 

People and skills: submissions are invited from law firms that describe ways in which working culture and practices have changed beyond the immediate response to the pandemic. Submissions are invited from law firms that are rethinking workplaces, how they work, or the way they recruit, train, engage and develop their staff. (One submission per firm)

Responsible business: submissions are invited that detail innovative ways in which firms are having an impact in addressing challenges of sustainability, social injustice, or social inequality, including diversity and inclusion initiatives. (One submission per firm)

Corporate law department categories 

In-house teams are invited to make up to four submissions in total, in the following four categories. Please also include contact details for the general counsel and a commercial reference who can be made available for interview.

Commercial and strategic partners: submissions are invited from legal teams that have helped deliver more value to their internal business client or to their business’s external customers. Examples may include enabling business growth or transformation, the redesign of legal documents and processes to improve customer experience, or the legal team’s role developing new products, services or revenue streams for the business. (One submission per company) 

Operations: submissions are invited from legal teams that have become more digital, and are using data, new processes or new ways of working to improve how they operate. Examples may relate to the management and operations of the legal function, or to how it manages relationship with its external law firms and legal service providers. (One submission per company)

Talent: submissions are invited from legal teams that are building skills and capabilities in new ways. Following two years of the pandemic, we are interested in new approaches to working in teams and engaging individuals. Examples may relate to the legal team, or the role the legal team is playing in helping the business adapt. (One submission per company)

Sustainability and responsible business: submissions are invited from legal teams that are helping their businesses and industries meet environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals. Examples may also cover legal team responsible business initiatives to address challenges of social injustice, social inequality, or inclusion and diversity. (One submission per company) 

How the report and the awards are assessed

The report will feature a selection of the submissions received, along with articles based on surveys and other qualitative research methods. The submission deadline is Sept 6, 2022. The research process will run in September and October. The report will be published with the Financial Times newspaper on Friday December 9, 2022, and an awards ceremony will be held on Thursday, December 8, 2022.

There is no cost for submitting entries but the project will be subject to the terms and conditions outlined in detail below.

The research partner for the FT Innovative Lawyers programme is RSGI, a specialist research and consulting company with decades of experience analysing the legal industry.

How to submit entries

All submissions must be made via the online submissions form at https://ftinnovativelawyers.highq.com/. To register an account to access the forms, please email ftresearch@rsgi.co to request login details.

Submission format

All private practice law firm submissions must provide the following details and address the criteria set out below. Please note that word limits are enforced in the online entry forms.

The challenge: What commercial problem or business issue is being solved? (75 word limit)

Description of the innovation: A brief description of the individual, team or initiative. (75 word limit)

Originality: why is the individual, team or initiative innovative? Which elements are most original? (200 word limit)

Leadership: what role did the lawyers, firm, individual or legal department play? For which aspects of the solution, approach or implementation were the lawyers responsible? How did you arrive at the specific approach or solution that was finally adopted? (200 word limit)

Impact: what was the impact of the innovation for the client, firm or key stakeholders? How can its success be measured? Where did the lawyers deliver the most value? Please include hard evidence. (200 word limit)

References: all submissions must include contact details for at least one internal and at least one client, or other external, reference, who can be contacted to discuss the details of the innovation on a confidential basis.

Rules for submitting

Time period: the 2022 ranking will assess innovations instituted from January 1, 2021 onwards. Submissions must be no longer than 750 words in total, written in English and answer each of the questions on the entry form.

Assessment of submissions

Submissions will be fully researched and will be assessed on their own merits. The RSGI research team also uses independent experts in the assessment process. Entries will be judged against other submissions in each category.

Innovations and innovators will be scored for their originality, leadership and impact out of a total of 30 points.

Client references are a critical part of the assessment process. Contact details for internal and client or external referees must be included on every submission. All submissions are assessed by RSGI, which uses a process of interviews with clients, submitting lawyers and experts. The submissions are then scored against a bespoke ranking methodology, devised for the FT to assess innovation in law firms.

The rankings will be based primarily on submissions received but will also include fresh research, surveys and other qualitative research methods to uncover legal innovation in the region.

Assessment criteria will be based on local norms and benchmarks of innovation.

Awards and report schedule

Sept 6 — deadline for submissions

October — awards shortlists revealed

Dec 8 — awards event

Dec 9 — report publication on FT.com and with the Financial Times newspaper

Contact details

For research/submission questions please contact RSGI at ftresearch@rsgi.co.

For editorial inquiries please contact Harriet Arnold at the FT at harriet.arnold@ft.com (please put FTILNA in the subject field). 

For advertising opportunities or other research sponsorship opportunities please contact Robert Grange, global franchise development director and head of special reports at the FT, robert.grange@ft.com or +44 (0) 207873 4418; or Alex Roszkowski, account manager, legal at the FT, at alex.roszkowski@ft.com, +44 (0) 7481 606760.

For inquiries about the awards event, please contact katie.jacobs@ft.com.