The UK's Most Powerful Lawyers

Wednesday April 23, 2008
The Times

It has been done in the health service, the media and the City. Professionals — lawyers included — are increasingly victims of league tables. So braving the ire of that most litigious of groups, today The Times Law section offers its own list.

Our Law 100 aims to be different: it is not a list of excellence, popularity or media mentions — although these can be factors. So it’s not just big names or brilliant stars (take comfort, those excluded). Instead, we tried to select the most powerful and influential within the law today — in the judiciary, private practice, in-house, public sector or politics.

How to measure power and influence — who really has clout? Should all senior judges automatically make the list? We agreed that there had to be both power and influence: some people hold powerful positions but their influence may be minimal. Conversely some judges or top lawyers make little impact.

Power and influence in the law go beyond the judiciary. Who are the driving forces at the big City law firms, the generators of billion-pound revenues — the dealmakers who command most respect? And is the in-house solicitor, with power to bring a test case, more powerful than the barristers who win it or the judge who decides it? And what of those in the backrooms, the unseen lawyers driving the policy cogs of government?

We had in mind such factors as whether contenders can influence public or political opinion, or the strategy or policy of a big firm, company or government; whether they can shape or apply the law in a way that affects many people; whether they are respected, feared or emulated or contributed to the strength and quality of UK legal services.

Our own judging panel was excluded and also non-lawyers, disqualifying some key regulators. As for lawyers with careers largely outside the law, they were ruled out — except where their contribution is the law itself — such as Jack Straw. We also disqualified legal giants like Anthony Salz, who have moved to other work.

Many outstanding lawyers do not make the list. Those who do are either indisputably rated at the top, being first port of call for clients on the wrong side of the law, facing divorce or libelled — and/or combine that excellence with other criteria (contacts, writing, politics) to put them apart from rivals. Nor did many women feature: a reflection of their paucity at the top of the law. City lawyers also fare less well than higher-profile colleagues in areas such as judicial review. There is no business lawyer in the Top Ten — which reflects the panel’s view that unlike their US counterparts who are often leading voices on social or policy issues, no City lawyer had a broad enough influence to be in the Top Ten.

Of course, the list is subjective. There was heated debate to whittle down a long list to 100. Polite insults were traded. The Top Ten — and their placings — are probably most contentious of all. But the final result is a democratic verdict.

As for the top slot, a case can be made for the Secretary of State for Justice. But as one panellist put it: “Jack Straw occupies a powerful position and his will can often prevail. But his power and influence are more as a politician than a lawyer . . . and often results from consultation with many others. By contrast, Tom Bingham, a man of remarkable intellect, had an entirely personal influence at the highest level across a huge range of subjects — affecting the lives of millions of people.”

So here it is. Please e-mail in comments and criticisms — and names. You can contact us here or fill out a form here. And don’t forget: if others should be in, who comes out? Stand by for the brickbats.

For the list please click here