The lawyers had gathered to celebrate the achievements of the firms setting the standard in terms of female-friendly work practices, and women leading the field in the legal sector across Europe.
Ex-Simmons & Simmons senior partner and former Commissioner for Public Appointments Dame Janet Gaymer, collected the Lifetime Achievement award and Ingrid Simler QC, head of Devereux Chambers, picked up the Outstanding Achievement prize.
In the firm categories, Linklaters was named best international firm for women in business law. Baker & McKenzie collected the best firm for work-life balance, Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft was named most innovative firm, DLA Piper was rewarded for its mentoring programme and White & Case picked up the best international firm for talent management.
A full list of winners is listed below. For more information contact Melanie Petch at mpetch@euromoneyplc.com.
INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
Best in aviation
Vonnick le Guillou, Bird & Bird
Best in banking and finance
Nathalie Hobbs, Linklaters
Best in capital markets: Debt
Sarah Murphy, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Best in capital markets: Equity
Gabriele Apfelbacher, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton
Best in commercial arbitration
Gabrielle Kaufmann-Kohler, Lévi Kaufmann-Kohler
Best in competition & antitrust
Catriona Hatton, Hogan Lovells
Best in copyright
Lisa Peets, Covington & Burling
Best in corporate governance
Pauliina Tenhunen, Castrén & Snellman
Best in energy, natural resources & mining
Penelope Warne, CMS Cameron McKenna
Best in environment
Vanessa Havard-Williams, Linklaters
Best in financial regulation
Ruth Fox, Slaughter and May
Best in insolvency & restructuring
Patricia Godfrey, Nabarro
Best in insurance & reinsurance
Helena Rempler, Mannheimer Swartling
Best in investment funds
Isabelle Lebbe, Arendt & Medernach
Best in labour & employment
Mirjam de Blécourt, Baker & McKenzie
Best in life sciences
Morag Macdonald, Bird & Bird
Best in litigation
Isabel Foley, Arthur Cox
Best in mergers & acquisitions
Frances Murphy, Slaughter and May
Best in offshore
Zillah Howard, Bedell
Best in patents
Penny Gilbert, Powell Gilbert
Best in private equity
Stephanie Biggs, Kirkland & Ellis
Best in product liability
Alison Brown, Arnold & Porter
Best in real estate
Anne Byrne, Linklaters
Rising star
Helen Crossley, Linklaters
Best in shipping and maritime
Ann Fenech, Fenech & Fenech
Best in structured finance
Sharon Lewis, Hogan Lovells
Best in tax
Sara Luder, Slaughter and May
Best in tax dispute resolution
Philippa Whipple QC, One Crown Office Row
Best in TMT
Dóra Petrányi, CMS Cameron McKenna
Best in trademark
Karen Fong, Rouse Legal
Best in transfer pricing
Isabel Verlinden, PwC
Best in trusts and estates
Shân Warnock-Smith QC, Five Stone Buildings
Best in white collar crime
Louise Delahunty, Sullivan & Cromwell
COUNTRY WINNERS
Austria
Wolf Theiss
Baltics
Tark Grunte Sutkiene
Belgium
NautaDutilh
Bulgaria
Borislav Boyanov & Co
Cyprus
Chrysses Demetriades & Co
Czech Republic
CMS Cameron McKenna
Denmark
Plesner
Finland
Castrén & Snellman
France
Taj
Germany
Olswang
Greece
Karatzas & Partners Law Firm
Hungary
CMS Cameron McKenna
Ireland
William Fry
Israel
Kantor Elhanani Tal & Co Advocates
Italy
Portolano Cavallo Studio Legale
Kazakhstan
Linkage & Mind
Luxembourg
NautaDutilh
Netherlands
NautaDutilh
Norway
Thommessen
Offshore
KPMG Malta
Poland
Baker & McKenzie
Portugal
PLMJ
Romania
Nestor Nestor Diculescu Kingston Petersen
Russia
White & Case
Slovak Republic
Ružicka Csekes (in association with CMS)
Spain
Cuatrecasas Gonçalves Pereira
Sweden
Mannheimer Swartling
Switzerland
Pestalozzi Attorneys at law
Turkey
Pekin & Pekin
UK national firm
Boodle Hatfield
UK international firm
CMS Cameron McKenna
Ukraine
DLA Piper
IN-HOUSE WINNERS
International Financial Law Review in-house award
Laura Holleman, Goldman Sachs
International Tax Review in-house award
Sarah Fahy, Sony
Managing IP in-house award
Catriona Hammer, GE Healthcare
Best in-house team
Citi
FIRM AWARDS
Best gender diversity initiative by national firm
Mannheimer Swartling – Women's network and professional development programme
Best gender diversity initiative by international firm
Linklaters – Gender action plan (GAP)
Best firm for minority women lawyers
Hogan Lovells – London's role in the global strategic diversity business plan
Most innovative international firm
Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft
Best national firm mentoring programme
Arthur Cox – Firmwide mentoring
Best international firm mentoring programme
DLA Piper – The women's network mentoring programme
Best national firm for work-life balance
Boodle Hatfield – Policies on flexible working, enhanced maternity leave, home working, time off for dependents and job sharing
Best international firm for work-life balance
Baker & McKenzie – BakerBalance
Best firm for pro bono work
Clifford Chance
Best national firm for talent management
NautaDutilh Netherlands – Talent development at NautaDutilh
Best international firm for talent management
White & Case – Global women's initiative
Best national firm for women in business law
Boodle Hatfield
Best international firm for women in business law
Linklaters