The research process for the GC Powerlist has grown substantially since the first report was published in 2013 and now encompasses online nominations as well as substantial interviews with senior general counsel (GCs) and private practitioners.
The first stage for the 2018 report began in early December with the launch of an online survey to canvass recommendations for outstanding legal teams.
The online survey posed the following questions:
- Which in-house legal team would you highlight as outstanding in terms of its all-round contribution to business?
- What qualities would you say make this team outstanding?
- Which, if any, individuals in the team would you highlight for their exceptional personal contribution?
- Which senior business services or operational professional stands out in the team and why?
We also asked for citations on ‘rising star’ in-house counsel for a smaller section on up-and-coming lawyers, focused on lawyers broadly between the ages of 30 and 45, operating below group GC or a large divisional GC role.
Separately, a team of journalists in December began researching the report via interviews with senior lawyers in-house and private practice to canvass nominations. The core team comprised research editor James Wood, senior reporter Hamish McNicol and reporter Tom Baker, who have all regularly covered in-house and deal with GCs for Legal Business and The In-House Lawyer.
The research period continued into late February, with the final names reviewed by Legal Business’s senior editors, from which we aimed to draw up a list of 50 outstanding teams.
With the core team research, we were looking to identify teams that have a strong track record in developing talent, implementing inventive and thoughtful new projects and systems, and those with a demonstrable record of working on successful initiatives.
Weight was given to teams that received multiple recommendations or those that could demonstrate commercial qualities beyond legal skills. Even more weight was given to the seniority and credibility of those nominating or vouching for teams. We in addition often looked for credible third-party citations.
The criteria for rising stars was relatively simple: we were looking for outstanding individuals at GC level at major companies operating in the UK who are already taking on leadership roles and demonstrating exceptional qualities. Evidence of leadership roles beyond the legal function, progressive thinking and strong interpersonal skills were also cited as key factors. Primarily we were focusing on lawyers in their 30s through to their mid-40s.