The world’s best employment and labour law specialists have been revealed, as the shortlist for the IEL Awards 2025 is officially released.

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

Each firm and practice has been carefully evaluated by IEL’s editorial team, which has scrutinised their collective and individual achievements from the last 12 months.

Baker McKenzie leads the pack with seven nominations. But close behind are A&O Shearman, DLA Piper, Freshfields, Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, and Rajah & Tann, all in the running for six awards this year. 

Eversheds Sutherland, Faegre Drinker, Lewis Silkin, Linklaters, Morgan Lewis, and Paul Hastings have five nominations apiece.

“Judging the IEL Awards’ law firm and private practice categories is getting tougher each year due to the incredible, market-defining work we see in our research and the exceptional feedback we receive from in-house counsel throughout the year,” said John van der Luit-Drummond, editor of IEL.

“But while global firms may dominate this year’s shortlist, we do not dismiss the immense value and expertise on display within regional, national, and boutique firms from around the world. 

“Regardless of firm size or shape, this year’s shortlist recognises the very best of the international employment law community. Congratulations to all who are nominated and the very best of luck.”

The shortlist for in-house teams and barristers’ chambers awards will be revealed on Wednesday 1 October.

All winners will be announced at a black-tie gala on Wednesday 19 November at the Savoy Hotel in London. This gathering of the legal elite promises to be a night of celebration, networking, and recognition of excellence within the international employment law community.

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

Senior Executive Team of the Year 

BDBF

Fox Williams

Mishcon de Reya

Rajah & Tann

Zambelli & Partners

Rewards and Incentives Team of the Year 

BMA Advogados

Freshfields

Herzog Fox & Neeman

Linklaters

Mayer Brown 

Mishcon de Reya

Slaughter and May

Labour Relations Management Team of the Year

A&O Shearman

Baker McKenzie

DLA Piper

Lewis Silkin

Littler 

Squire Patton Boggs

Wolf Theiss

Disputes Team of the Year

A&O Shearman

DAC Beachcroft

Dentons

Freshfields

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer

Lewis Silkin

Linklaters

Rajah & Tann

Simmons & Simmons

Wolf Theiss

Investigations Team of the Year

A&O Shearman

DAC Beachcroft

Freshfields

Lewis Silkin

Linklaters

Mishcon de Reya

Paul Hastings

Rajah & Tann

Simmons & Simmons

Travers Smith

Global Mobility Team of the Year

Crowell & Moring

Eversheds Sutherland

Faegre Drinker

Fragomen

Mayer Brown 

Morgan Lewis

Pinsent Masons

Squire Patton Boggs

Walker Morris

Cross-border Transactional Team of the Year

A&O Shearman

Baker McKenzie

Faegre Drinker

Linklaters

Paul Hastings

Rajah & Tann

Slaughter and May

Diversity & Inclusion Programme of the Year – Private Practice

BMA Advogados

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer

Rajah & Tann

Slaughter and May

Walker Morris

North American Law Firm of the Year

Faegre Drinker

Jackson Lewis

Morgan Lewis

Paul Hastings

Seyfarth Shaw

Latin American Law Firm of the Year

Baker McKenzie

Brigard Urrutia

CGM

Creel

Demarest 

Marval, O'Farrell & Mairal

Mattos Filho

Marván, González Graf y González Larrazolo

European Law Firm of the Year

Baker McKenzie

Bird & Bird 

Dentons

Eversheds Sutherland

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer

Littler

Morgan Lewis

Wolf Theiss

Asia-Pacific Law Firm of the Year

Baker McKenzie

Freshfields

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer

Lewis Silkin

Pinsent Masons

Rajah & Tann

Seyfarth Shaw

WongPartnership

African Law Firm of the Year

ADSERO - Ragy Soliman & Partners

Bloomfield

Bowmans 

DLA Piper

ENS Africa

Middle Eastern Law Firm of the Year

Addleshaw Goddard

Al Tamimi 

Baker McKenzie

Clyde & Co

DLA Piper

Hadef & Partners 

Pinsent Masons

Stephenson Harwood

Boutique Law Firm of the Year

Basham, Ringe y Correa

BDBF

CM Murray

De La Vega & Martínez Rojas

Failla & Partners

Flichy Grangé Avocats

Harmers Workplace Lawyers

KLIEMT.HR Lawyers

Vanguard Lawyers Tokyo

Zambelli & Partners

National Law Firm of the Year

Fox Williams

Gómez-Acebo & Pombo 

Karatzas & Partners

Khaitan & Co

Kromann Reumert

Lydian

Matheson

Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas

International Employment Law Team of the Year

A&O Shearman 

Baker McKenzie

Bird & Bird 

Dentons 

DLA Piper

Eversheds Sutherland

Faegre Drinker

Freshfields

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer

Linklaters

Morgan Lewis

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:

Global Mobility Leader of Tomorrow

Yawar Abbas, Fox Williams

Maria Gravelle, Pinsent Masons

Rebecca Houghton, Eversheds Sutherland

Tanya Loughran, Fragomen 

Eilidh Moncrieff, DLA Piper

Teni Olasupo, Blick Rothenberg

Melania Soncin, Toffoletto De Luca Tamajo 

Friederike Voht, Taylor Wessing 

Global Mobility Lawyer of the Year

Minnie Fu, Jackson Lewis

Sophie Maes, Claeys & Engels 

Amy Nevins, Lewis Silkin

Pierre Nilles, Fidal Avocats

Claire Nilson, Faegre Drinker

Martina Schlamp, Littler 

Nicole Janigian Simonian, Crowell & Moring

Michael Stutley, Kingston Reid

Leader of Tomorrow – Private Practice

Marco Bono, Simmons & Simmons 

Donavie D’Costa, Khaitan & Co

Lauren Herz, Squire Patton Boggs

Chris Jones, Paul Hastings

Chantelle Nicholas, Freshfields

Mattias Pallentin, Littler

Joanna Pennick, DAC Beachcroft

Jorge Sanz, Bird & Bird

International Employment Lawyer of the Year – Private Practice

Gurpreet Duhra, DLA Piper

Rebecca Ford, Morgan Lewis

Sarah Henchoz, A&O Shearman

Phil Linnard, Slaughter and May

Laurence Renard, Simmons & Simmons 

John Sander, Jackson Lewis

Hannah Wilkins, Eversheds Sutherland

Christine Young, Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer

For more information about the IEL Awards 2025, including awards categories and table booking information, visit our awards page.