News
Financial Times names Freshfields as ‘Most Digital Law Firm’ in Europe and ‘Innovative Lawyers in Technology’
- Freshfields named (joint) ‘Most Digital Law Firm’ in Europe among international law firms at FT Innovative Lawyers Awards Europe 2023 for use of data and technology;
- Firm awarded ‘Most Innovative Lawyers in Technology’ for advising London Stock Exchange Group (‘LSEG’) on strategic tech partnership with Microsoft;
- Firm ranked fourth most innovative firm in Europe;
- Firm receives commendations for its Client Delivery Group, as well as responsible business practices, and supporting refugees and migrants;
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer (‘Freshfields’) has won the awards for ‘Most Digital Law Firm’ in Europe and Innovative Lawyers in Technology at the FT Innovative Lawyers Awards Europe 2023, hosted at London’s Natural History Museum this week. Freshfields was jointly named ‘Most Digital Law Firm’ in Europe for its use of data and technology. Firm participants were benchmarked against other law firm responses.
The awards ceremony celebrates the best in innovation from law firms and in-house legal teams in Europe, recognising leaders in digital innovation, strategic advice, talent management and driving positive change in the profession.
The FT law firm index Europe 2023 placed Freshfields fourth out of the top 50 participating firms, which assesses firms based on four metrics: innovation, digital, people, and social responsibility.
Freshfields has also been declared as the winner and a standout firm in the category of technology for its advisory role to LSEG on its 10-year strategic tech partnership with Microsoft.
Head of Freshfields’ Intellectual Property and Technology Group, Giles Pratt, commented to the FT that the scale and complexity of the agreement required considerable care: “You can only do this kind of deal with people you’ve known a long time. In effect, it’s [multiple] complex deals in one, marrying together the best of fintech, pure tech, and financial services institutions.”
Freshfields' advisory role for LSEG is multi-award winning; the firm was also awarded Corporate Team of the Year by Legal Business and The Lawyer respectively for the LSEG/Microsoft strategic tech partnership.
Christina Spenke, global director of legal services, is named in a Financial Times list of innovative lawyers. Spenke is praised for driving Freshfields’ Hub in continental Europe and leading the firm's Client Delivery Group.
Freshfields received further commendations in the following categories:
- Ranked as standout for client delivery after supporting a tech multinational in a mass claim litigation involving 20,000 cases using case management software and machine learning to extract data from high volumes of case documents;
- Highly commended alongside other international law firms for supporting refugees and migrants. The firms launched a pro bono project for migrants, called the Rule 39 initiative, in collaboration with campaign group the Italian Coalition for Civil Liberties and Rights (CILD). The initiative has so far helped more than 400 people;
- Highly commended for responsible business practices where colleagues established the UK Neurodiversity Working Group as part of Enabled, to raise awareness of neurodiversity, and go further in supporting, enabling and empowering neurodivergent colleagues to thrive. Colleagues were also noted for engaging with Business Disability Forum, a membership organisation, to advise on the programme.
Notes to editors
Further info on Freshfields’ transaction insights can be accessed at transactions.freshfields.com and content on emerging tech issues within the firm’s technology quotient blogs.
See further info on Freshfields’ Client Delivery Group, Freshfields Lab and Innovation Teams, and Freshfields Hub.
