Baltic firm Sorainen was last night named as European Firm of the Year at The Lawyer European Awards after a year of impressive growth and strategic development.
The firm became the first Baltic outfit to win the overall title at the awards, which celebrate the best of the Continent’s independent legal market.
Luis de Carlos, managing partner of Iberian firm Uría Menéndez, took home the European Managing Partner of the Year award while Uría also won the inaugural Global Strategic Initiative of the Year prize for its unique involvement in the establishment of Latin American firm Philippi Prietocarrizosa & Uría.
Paris arbitration boutique Betto Seraglini, set up in 2013 by former Hogan Lovells partner Jean-Georges Betto, became European Specialist Firm of the Year for its continued growth and commitment to social responsibility.
As well as the award for strategic initiative, the night saw the inaugural presentation of Global In-House Lawyer of the Year and African and Asian Law Firm of the Year prizes.
The in-house category attracted nominations from advisers of top general counsel from across Europe. The winner was King Digital Entertainment’s Rob King, recognised for his “great leadership, commercial abilities and strong legal skills” as he drove the business through several years of transformation. King was acquired by Activision Blizzard late last year, having previously listed in New York in 2014.
China’s Zhong Lun and African firm ENSafrica were named as Asian and African Law Firm of the Year respectively. Both firms stand out for their approach to internationalisation in the last few years.
The ceremony, at London’s Hilton Bankside hotel, was hosted by BBC broadcaster and Strictly Come Dancing finalist Katie Derham and was attended by over 250 lawyers from around the world.
THE WINNERS AND FINALISTS
Law firm of the year: Austria
Winner: Binder Grösswang
Shortlist:
- CHSH Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati
- Dorda Brugger Jordis
- Graf & Pitkowitz
- Schoenherr
- Wolf Theiss
Law firm of the year: Benelux
Winner: AKD
Shortlist:
- Arendt & Medernach
- Strelia
- Van Campen Liem
Law firm of the year: Central Europe
Winner: Kinstellar
Shortlist:
- BBH
- Domański Zakrzewski Palinka
- Kochanski Zieba & Partners
- Magnusson
- PRK Partners
Law firm of the year: Eastern Europe and the Balkans
Winner: Schoenherr
Shortlist:
- Boga & Associates
- Karanovic & Nikolic
- Kinstellar
- Rojs Peljhan Prelesnik & Partners
- Wolf Theiss
Law firm of the year: France
Winner: Franklin
Shortlist:
- August & Debouzy
- BDGS Associés
- De Gaulle Fleurance & Associés
Law firm of the year: Germany
Winner: Flick Gocke Schaumburg
Shortlist:
- Gleiss Lutz
- GvW Graf von Westphalen
- Hengeler Mueller
- Noerr
- Schalast & Partner
Law firm of the year: Iberia
Winner: Garrigues
Shortlist:
- Cuatrecasas Gonçalves Pereira
- Pérez-Llorca
- PLMJ
- SRS Advogados
- Uría Menéndez
- VdA
Law firm of the year: Italy
Winner: Lexellent
Highly commended: Portolano Cavallo Studio Legale
Shortlist:
- Chiomenti Studio Legale
- Gianni Origoni Grippo Cappelli & Partners
- Grimaldi Studio Legale
- Legance
- NCTM Studio Legale
Law firm of the year: Republic of Ireland
Winner: McCann FitzGerald
Highly commended: A&L Goodbody
Shortlist:
- Arthur Cox
- Mason Hayes & Curran
- Matheson
- William Fry
Law firm of the year: Romania
Winner: Tuca Zbarcea & Asociatii
Shortlist:
- Kinstellar
- Maravela & Asociatii
- Musat & Asociatii
- Schoenherr
- Wolf Theiss
- Zamfirescu Racoti & Partners
Law firm of the year: Russia, Ukraine & the CIS
Winner: Integrites
Shortlist:
- Aequo
- Asters
- Egorov Puginsky Afanasiev & Partners
- Ilyashev & Partners
- Sayenko Kharenko
- Vasil Kisil & Partners
Law firm of the year: Switzerland
Winner: Niederer Kraft & Frey
Shortlist:
- Bär & Karrer
- Froriep
- Homburger
- Schellenberg Wittmer
- Walder Wyss
Law firm of the year: The Baltics
Winner: Sorainen
Shortlist:
- Cobalt
- Ellex
- Tark Grunte Sutkiene
- Varul
Law firm of the year: The Nordics
Winner: Plesner
Highly commended: Dittmar & Indrenius
Shortlist:
- Bech-Bruun
- Borenius
- Magnusson
- Mannheimer Swartling
- Schjødt
Law firm of the year: Turkey
Winner: Cukur & Yilmaz Law Firm
Shortlist:
- Balcıoğlu Selçuk Akman Keki
- Bener Law Firm
- Bezen & Partners
- Kinstellar / CCAO
- Moroğlu Arseven
European banking & finance deal of the year
Winner: Froriep
Shortlist:
- A&L Goodbody
- Aequo
- Dentons
- Eversheds
- Schalast & Partner
- William Fry
European corporate deal of the year
Winner: William Fry
Shortlist:
- Arthur Cox
- Domański Zakrzewski Palinka
- Gómez-Acebo & Pombo
- Herbert Smith Freehills
- Pérez-Llorca
- Wolf Theiss
European energy, infrastructure and projects deal of the year
Winner: Bezen & Partners
Shortlist:
- Dechert
- Herbert Smith Freehills
- Liniya Prava Law Firm
- Morais Leitão Galvão Teles Soares da Silva
- Watson Farley & Wiliams
European specialist law firm of the year
Winner: Betto Seraglini
Shortlist:
- LabLaw
- Lexellent
- Portolano Cavallo Studio Legale
- Studio Legale Avvocato Patrizia Trapella
- Van Campen Liem
- Vandenbulke
Global strategic initiative of the year
Winner: Uría Menéndez
Shortlist:
- Allen & Overy
- Baker & McKenzie
- Eversheds
- Garrigues
- Gleiss Lutz
- Mayer Brown
Global network of the year
Winner: L&E Global
Shortlist:
- Globalaw
- Interlaw
- International Lawyers Network
- Ius Laboris
- Lex Mundi
- Multilaw
European managing partner of the year
Winner: Luis de Carlos, Uría Menéndez
Shortlist:
- Sergio Barozzi, Lexellent
- Zbigniew Drzewiecki, Drzewiecki Tomaszek I Wspólnicy
- Gerard Endedijk, Rutgers & Posch
- Juha Pekka Katainen, Krogerus
- Stefano Simontacchi and Marcello Giustiniani, Bonelli Erede Pappalardo
- Luis Trigo, Broseta
Law firm of the year: Asia
Winner: Zhong Lun
Shortlist:
- DeHeng Law Offices
- Rajah & Tann
- TMI Associates
- Yingke
Law firm of the year: Africa
Winner: ENSafrica
Shortlist:
- Anjarwalla & Khanna
- Chibesakunda & Co
- Fatima Freitas Advogados
- Templars
Global in-house lawyer of the year
Winner: Rob Miller, King Digital Entertainment
Shortlist:
- Jan Eckert, ZF Friedrichshafen
- Julie Hawkins, Bunge
- Catherine Langlais, Euronext
- Mihaela Popescu, Daimler Financial Services Romania
- Alex Scott-Gall, Deutsche Bank EMEA
- Francis Vicari, Crédit Agricole
European firm of the year
Winner: Sorainen
Drawn from the regional winners, Sorainen becomes the first Baltic firm to win the European firm of the year title. The firm stands out for its overall commitment to diversity, social responsibility and strategic vision, combined with strong financial results and an impressive list of work.