Chambers Global 2022: An introduction to International & Cross-Border Capabilities research and rankings
Learn about the coverage included in the Chambers Global 2022 guide; International & Cross-Border Capabilities.
How does Chambers analyse and rank law firms working on international matters in the legal market?
Chambers International and Cross-Border Capabilities (I&CBC) research aims to provide law firm clients and the legal market with a trusted overview of the top law firms best placed to advise on international matters and cases.
Chambers research covers the world's major legal and financial centres, including key jurisdictions across the Americas, EMEA and the Asia-Pacific:
How Chambers Global research and rank law firms who provide cross-border legal services
There are several ways in which the I&CBC research differs to other areas of Chambers coverage.
The Chambers Global team pays close attention to the different strategies employed by law firms in a given legal market. For example, the research may convey to readers whether a firm typically handles an international project through collaboration within its own network of offices, or through co-operation with independent firms in different jurisdictions.
It is important to bear in mind that Chambers does not necessarily view one strategy as inherently more effective than another. A firm without its own international network could still receive a top ranking in the Chambers Global guide.
The research focuses on the drivers of cross-border work in a given market. Our approach is underlined by an understanding that the practice areas and sectors that generate high levels of cross-border activity may differ from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.
Similarly, our coverage recognises that within different markets, law firms play different roles in international and cross-border work.
For example, in a particular jurisdiction, a firm may be included in a ranking table for its ability to act as co-ordinating counsel, while in another section, a practice may achieve a strong ranking for its skill acting on the local elements of larger international files.
For the majority of International and Cross-border sections, entire teams receive rankings instead of individual practitioners.
Within our I&CBC coverage, there are three types of section:
- Country-wide - these incorporate the large majority of globally pertinent practice areas under that jurisdiction. Examples include Belgium, Australia and Israel.
- Larger markets are divided into Disputes and Transactions, such as France, Germany, Spain and China.
- For the UK there are sector-specific rankings, including Corporate/M&A, Life Sciences, and Technology.
- For the US, there are also sector-specific legal rankings, including Corporate/M&A, Life Sciences, and Technology.
These are the only sections of research where clients can find Chambers International Capability Quadrants which provide a visual representation of the differing strategies employed by law firms in a given legal market.
Expanding the legal insights provided by Chambers Global
This year our I&CBC research has further expanded to include South Africa and Argentina.