Guide to Lexology Index submissions (Who’s Who Legal)

Key takeaway

Lexology Index, previously known as Who’s Who Legal (WWL), recognises leading lawyers and experts across practice areas and jurisdictions across the globe.

Inclusion in the guide was historically based on independent research and market nominations rather than a formal submission process.

Lexology Index began accepting formal submissions in 2023, allowing firms to nominate practitioners and provide supporting information, including work highlights and client referees.

A well-prepared Lexology Index submission ensures your firm, its practitioners and recent work are considered for recognition and positioned for success in their chosen practice areas.

How the Lexology Index works

Unlike many legal directories that rank law firms or practice groups, the Lexology Index focuses on individual practitioners.

The research identifies lawyers, barristers and consulting experts who are widely recognised by peers and clients as leaders in their field. Researchers gather feedback from private practice lawyers, corporate counsel and other market participants to determine which individuals stand out in terms of their expertise and reputation.

Practitioners included in the Lexology Index may appear across several recognition tiers, including:

• Global Elite Thought Leaders

• Thought Leaders (select guides)

• Tier 3 – Highly Recommended

• Tier 4 - Recommended

• Tier 5 - Future Leaders

Find more information on what each of the Lexology rankings mean.

Lexology Index reports and publications

Lexology publishes a wide range of reports throughout the year, each focusing on different practice areas and jurisdictions.

These publications highlight leading individuals across the global legal market and often include editorial commentary, interviews or market insights from recognised practitioners:

Practice Area Reports

Practice area reports focus on specific areas of law globally, identifying leading practitioners who are recognised by peers and clients for their expertise in that particular field.

Examples include reports covering areas such as commercial litigation, employment, immigration, real estate, investigations and more.

National Reports

National reports highlight the strongest practitioners within specific jurisdictions. For example, Lexology Index publishes country-focused reports recognising lawyers practising in major legal markets such as the UK (including the UK Bar), the US and Australia.

Thought Leader Reports

Thought Leader reports feature individuals who receive the highest number of nominations and recommendations during the research process.

These reports often include interviews or commentary from the selected practitioners, providing readers with insights into legal developments and market trends.

Consulting Expert Reports

In addition to recognising leading lawyers, the Lexology Index also highlights top non-legal professionals in its Consulting Expert Reports. These reports feature leading experts across fields such as forensic accounting, economic consulting, asset tracing, corporate investigations and digital forensics whose expertise supports complex disputes, investigations, regulatory matters and the like.

Because the Lexology Index produces multiple publications throughout the year, the submission timelines vary depending on the report or practice area being researched.

Lexology Index submission deadlines

Unlike other legal directories that operate on a single annual cycle, Lexology Index submission deadlines vary throughout the year, depending on the report (i.e. the practice area or jurisdiction) being assessed. The research timeline typically includes:

• A nomination or submission period

• A research phase during which feedback is collected

• Publication of the final report

Firms preparing a Lexology Index submission should review the relevant research schedules to determine when research begins for the applicable practice area and submit their nominations and supporting information before the submission period ends.

The Lexology Index submission process

Although the Lexology Index relies heavily on independent research, as mentioned, firms can contribute information to support the assessment of nominated practitioners and we would certainly recommend doing so.

Lexology Index submissions include the following elements to be used by researchers as part of their ranking determination:

• Biography for nominated practitioners

• Work highlights outlining recent standout matters

• Details for client referees to be contacted

1: Nominating practitioners

Law firms, barristers’ chambers and consultancies can nominate individuals they believe should be considered leaders in their practice area.

This nomination helps ensure that the practitioner is seriously considered for recognition and included in the candidate lists circulated to peers and clients during the research process.

Nominations typically include information such as:

• The practitioner’s name, position, firm and jurisdiction

• Their biography (tailored to the submission category)

• The relevant practice area

2: Client references

Client feedback is a crucial element of Lexology’s research.

When preparing a Lexology Index submission, firms should provide contact details for clients who will attest to the nominated practitioner’s expertise, based on their experience working with them.

Researchers may contact these referees directly to obtain feedback on:

• The quality of the practitioner’s advice

• The significance or complexity of matters handled

• The practitioner’s reputation within the market

There is no strict limit on the number of client references that can be submitted, although the Lexology Index suggests providing around five to ten referees per partner or lawyer.

Referees are submitted through the Lexology client referee upload tool, either via the online form or in the excel format provided by Lexology, depending on the number of referees.

As with other legal directories, it is important to obtain permission from each contact before including them as a referee, both to maintain good client relationships and to comply with data protection requirements. As part of Elmfields’ legal directory submission services, we assist with how to approach clients and ensure they are aware of what inclusion in your submission means.

3: Work highlights

Nominees or their firms may also provide details of recent work highlights to support the nomination.

Work highlights allow researchers to understand the practitioner’s recent activity and the types of matters they have been involved in.

They are also the firm’s opportunity to demonstrate why the nominated practitioners deserve to be recognised.

Effective work highlights should focus on:

• The nature of the matter and nominated practitioner’s role in the matter

• Why the matter was significant, complex or impactful

See here for tips on improving the quality of your legal directory work highlights.

These summaries help provide context for the practitioner’s experience and may be used alongside the peer-review research process.

As always, confidential information included in the submission should be clearly marked as such, to ensure researchers can easily determine which details can be referenced publicly and which should remain private.

The Lexology Index research process

Once submissions been collected and the deadline has passed, the research team conducts its research process. This includes gathering feedback from lawyers and clients across the global legal market. Researchers analyse the information alongside their own market knowledge and previous research cycles.

The final rankings are determined using a combination of:

• Peer recommendations

• Supporting information from submissions

• Client feedback

• Independent research

Because the research is cumulative, recognition in the Lexology Index often develops over multiple research cycles, particularly in highly competitive practice areas.

Taking a strategic approach to Lexology Index submissions

Firms can take steps to strengthen their Lexology Index submission strategy, including:

• Nominating practitioners with strong peer recognition in the market

• Providing responsive and credible client referees

• Highlighting recent high-value or complex matters

Taking a strategic approach ensures researchers have the information they need to properly consider nominated practitioners.

How Elmfields can help with Lexology Index submissions

Preparing strong legal directory submissions can take time, particularly when firms are nominating multiple practitioners across several practice areas.

At Elmfields, we support law firms throughout the entire process - from identifying suitable candidates and categories and coordinating client references, to preparing evidence-based work highlights that reinforce a practitioner’s nomination.

For more information about how we support firms with Lexology Index and other legal directory submissions, learn more about our legal directory consultancy services.