The world’s best employment and labour law specialists are set to be celebrated as the shortlist for the IEL Awards 2024 is officially revealed.

This year’s shortlist once again features an array of global powerhouses, boutique law firms, and specialist barristers’ chambers competing across a range of specialisms and regional award categories.

Each firm and practice has been carefully evaluated by IEL’s editorial team, who have scrutinised their achievements over the last 12 months.

Last year, Morgan Lewis took home the top award after being crowned International Employment Law Team of the Year. But it faces stiff competition to retain its crown in 2024.

The US firm leads the pack again this year with nominations across eight categories, but it is closely followed by Freshfields and Linklaters with seven nominations each; Lewis Silkin, Paul Hastings, and Seyfarth Shaw have six.

“Judging the 2023 awards was a Herculean task, but the IEL team definitely has its work cut out for it this year. The work we have seen in the 2024 research period has been nothing short of exceptional from some of the biggest and most well-respected names in the legal services sector,” said John van der Luit-Drummond, editor of IEL.

“I’m also amazed by the in-house submissions we received this year that demonstrate the innovation and creativity of in-house employment counsel and HR teams. Their contributions to the modern workplace should never be overlooked and we look forward to recognising and celebrating their achievements in November.”

The shortlist for in-house teams and chambers awards will be announced on Monday 30 September.

The winners will be announced at a black-tie event on Wednesday 13 November at the Dorchester Hotel in London. This gathering of legal luminaries promises to be a night of celebration, networking, and recognition of excellence within the legal profession.

The finalists for this year’s law firm awards are as follows:

Senior Executive Team of the Year 

BDBF 

Farrer & Co

Mishcon de Reya

Withersworldwide 

Zambelli & Partners

Rewards and Incentives Team of the Year 

Bowmans

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

Linklaters

Mishcon de Reya

Slaughter and May

Labour Relations Management Team of the Year

Eversheds Sutherland

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

Lewis Silkin

Mattos Filho

Morgan Lewis & Bockius

Rajah & Tann

Wolf Theiss

Disputes Team of the Year

A&O Shearman

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

Herbert Smith Freehills

Linklaters

Mayer Brown

Morgan Lewis & Bockius

Paul Hastings

Seyfarth Shaw

Investigations Team of the Year

A&O Shearman

Baker McKenzie

DAC Beachcroft

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

Herbert Smith Freehills

Lewis Silkin

Linklaters

Morgan Lewis & Bockius

Seyfarth Shaw

Squire Patton Boggs
 

Global Mobility Team of the Year

Crowell & Moring 

Eversheds Sutherland

Faegre Drinker

Lewis Silkin

Morgan Lewis & Bockius

Squire Patton Boggs

Wolf Theiss
 

Cross-border Transactional Team of the Year

A&O Shearman 

Dentons

DLA Piper

Linklaters

Paul Hastings

Rajah & Tann 

Slaughter and May

Diversity & Inclusion Programme of the Year – Private Practice

DLA Piper

Garrigues 

Khaitan & Co

Lewis Silkin

Mayer Brown

Rajah & Tann 

North American Law Firm of the Year

Faegre Drinker 

Jackson Lewis

Littler

Mayer Brown

Morgan Lewis & Bockius

Ogletree Deakins

Paul Hastings

Seyfarth Shaw

Latin American Law Firm of the Year

Basham, Ringe y Correa

Carey 

Cuatrecasas

Garrigues

Marval, O'Farrell & Mairal

Mattos Filho

Pérez Bustamante & Ponce 

Tauil & Chequer Advogados in association with Mayer Brown

European Law Firm of the Year

Bird & Bird 

Dentons 

Garrigues

Littler

Morgan Lewis & Bockius

Ogletree Deakins 

Taylor Wessing

Wolf Theiss

Asia-Pacific Law Firm of the Year

Herbert Smith Freehills

Khaitan & Co

Rajah & Tann

Seyfarth Shaw

Simmons & Simmons 

Tilleke & Gibbins

Trilegal

WongPartnership

African Law Firm of the Year

ADSERO-Ragy Soliman & Partners

Bowmans

ENSafrica

Famsville

Middle Eastern Law Firm of the Year

Al Tamimi

Clyde & Co

Dentons

DLA Piper 

Herzog Law

Pinsent Masons

Stephenson Harwood

Boutique Law Firm of the Year

BDBF

Flichy Grangé 

Kingston Reid 

Kliemt.HR Lawyers

Marván, González Graf y González Larrazolo

Norrbom Vinding

Vanguard Lawyers Tokyo

Zambelli & Partners

International Employment Law Team of the Year

A&O Shearman 

DLA Piper

Eversheds Sutherland 

Faegre Drinker

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

Linklaters

Morgan Lewis & Bockius

Paul Hastings

Seyfarth Shaw

Squire Patton Boggs

In addition to the practice and law firm of the year categories, IEL has also shortlisted the following individuals for recognition:

International Employment Lawyer of the Year – Private Practice

Christel Cacioppo, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

David Lorimer, Lewis Silkin

Gurpreet Duhra, DLA Piper 

Kiersten Lucas, Stephenson Harwood 

Louise Skinner, Morgan Lewis & Bockius

Matthew Devey, Linklaters 

Sarah Henchoz, A&O Shearman

Suzanne Horne, Paul Hastings

Leader of Tomorrow – Private Practice

Chris Jones, Paul Hastings 

Dagmar Lessnau, Littler 

Elliot Roberts, Seyfarth Shaw 

Gemma Woodhead, Lewis Silkin

Jennifer Granado Aranzana, Linklaters

Judith Römer, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

Kate Martin, Ogletree Deakins 

Laura Anderson, Stephenson Harwood 

For more information about the IEL Awards 2024, including awards categories and table booking information, visit our awards page.