The winning firms and partners are identified based on an International Law Office (ILO) subscriber survey of corporate counsel only. Firms and partners are assessed on the following criteria:

• Quality of legal advice
• Value for money
• Commercial awareness
• Effective communication
• Billing transparency
• Tailored fee structures
• Depth of team
• Response time
• Sharing of expertise
• Use of technology

The awards research team also conducts interviews and additional research to establish the shortlist. Winners are chosen only where sufficient data is available. While based on thorough and coherent research, the results remain the subjective views of the ILO team.