Best Lawyers® is thrilled to announce the inaugural edition of Best Law Firms™- Germany, setting a new benchmark for recognizing excellence within the German legal community. For the first time, German law firms are honored for their exceptional performance in various practice areas and regions.
This new initiative builds on Best Lawyers' established presence in Germany, where we have been recognizing individual lawyers for over 16 years through The Best Lawyers in Germany™ awards. Now, we are expanding that recognition to include law firms, strengthening our commitment to spotlighting excellence in the legal industry on a broader scale.
Global Reach, Local Expertise: Best Law Firms Comes to Germany
Our Best Law Firms rankings, originally established in the United States in 2009, have earned a strong reputation for trust and transparency in our domestic market. Following this success, we have expanded internationally to Australia earlier this year. Now we are ready to bring the same rigorous research and evaluation process to Germany.
This launch is part of our global expansion and showcases our commitment to helping legal professionals and clients identify the best law firms to meet their legal needs, wherever they are.
Strengthening Our Partnership with Handelsblatt
Our collaboration with Handelsblatt, Germany’s leading source for business and financial news, strengthens this effort. We have enjoyed a dynamic 15-year relationship with Handelsblatt and their media platform helps us deliver our rankings to a wide audience. It provides professionals and clients with reliable information about the top law firms in Germany.
Research Methodology: A Multi-layered Process
The transparency of the Best Law Firms rankings is one of its defining features, ensuring credibility for both clients and professionals.
To be eligible for consideration in the Best Law Firms - Germany, a law firm must have at least one lawyer recognized in the current edition of The Best Lawyers in Germany. This serves as a key measure of quality, ensuring that only the top firms are evaluated.
Once eligibility is established, the rankings are based on a combination of:
- Law Firm surveys
- Client feedback
- Peer reviews
- Leadership interviews
Law firms provide detailed information about their practice areas, achievements over the past year and client work. The client's experience with a particular practice group is vital for these awards.
Client feedback is critical, offering perspective on how well a firm delivers its services based on six areas of evaluation:
- Expertise in the subject
- Responsiveness to client communications
- Understanding of the legal issue
- Cost-effectiveness
- Professional integrity
- How likely a client would be to recommend the firm’s work
The peer review process further enhances the rankings, as recognized lawyers evaluate firms based on their expertise and reputation within specific practice areas and regional jurisdictions.
Finally, leadership interviews collect the opinions of the industry’s very best on which firms are truly in a class of their own.
This multi-layered approach ensures that the Best Law Firms rankings uphold the same level of credibility that Best Lawyers is recognized for internationally. As a result, clients and professionals can rely on these rankings to identify the top legal talent in the market.
As Dr. Rafael Korenzecher from J.B.O. Berlin GmbH noted, "The Best Lawyers listings are an important source of transparency and the most helpful lawyer representation." To learn more about the full evaluation process, visit our Methodology page.
German Firms Have Embraced Best Law Firms
The remarkable participation of German law firms in the first edition of Best Law Firms - Germany demonstrates the value these rankings hold in the legal community.
With nearly 300 firms responding to the law firm survey, almost 10,000 client reference submissions and 95,000 votes from lawyers evaluating firms, the level of involvement from the German legal community has been remarkable for a first edition.
This strong level of engagement highlights the confidence that German firms have in the Best Lawyers evaluation process. For many firms—especially those with an international presence—being featured in Best Law Firms - Germany is a significant milestone that strengthens their reputation domestically and opens doors to broader recognition beyond Germany.
The rankings serve as a tool to showcase excellence, helping firms stand out in a competitive market and allowing clients to make more informed decisions when seeking legal representation.
The success of this first German edition reflects the positive reception that Best Law Firms has experienced in other markets, further establishing Best Lawyers as a reliable source for legal rankings across the globe.
Best Law Firms - Germany by the Numbers
The first edition of Best Law Firms - Germany provides an in-depth look at the current state of legal talent across the country. The rankings highlight 1,175 firms across 60 jurisdictional practice areas and 26 national practice areas, representing only the top 2% of the German legal market.
This select group of firms has been analyzed for their performance across 12 regional jurisdictions, including key states such as Bayern, Berlin, Hessen and Nordrhein-Westfalen.
Through this extensive localized research, 5,452 regional rankings were awarded, allowing clients to identify the top-performing firms in their specific region and practice area. Beyond these regional rankings, 345 firms – only 0.6% – are recognized for their national reach, offering legal services across multiple locations in Germany.
Additionally, 18 firms have been awarded the prestigious “Law Firm of the Year” designation in 23 practice areas, further elevating the status of these standout firms.
These figures highlight the depth of research involved in the Best Law Firms Germany rankings, making it the most exclusive and prestigious ranking system in the country. Clients can rely on these rankings for an objective, transparent view of the top legal service providers in Germany.
Practice Areas of Distinction in Germany
The inaugural edition of Best Law Firms - Germany showcases the legal fields that are most reflective of the country’s business environment and regulatory frameworks.
Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, and Labor and Employment Law are particularly prominent in Best Law Firms – Germany awards, reflecting the country focus on business operations, transactions and the management of its workforce.
These areas are vital for overseeing business transactions, managing corporate governance and ensuring compliance with the country’s strict labor regulations, all of which are essential in a highly structured economy like Germany’s.
Intellectual Property Law also stands out as a key area, safeguarding the innovations that drive Germany’s manufacturing and industrial sectors. Furthermore, Data Privacy Law has become increasingly critical due to the country’s adherence to stringent data protection regulations, such as the GDPR, making legal expertise in this field indispensable for businesses that handle sensitive data.
When compared with other markets that Best Law Firms analyzes the German legal space emphasizes corporate regulation and data protection more heavily.
While Germany’s legal market focuses on corporate governance and compliance, the U.S. sees a higher prominence of Commercial Litigation and Personal Injury Litigation, reflecting the litigation-heavy nature of its legal system.
Similarly, in Australia, areas like Real Property Law and Alternative Dispute Resolution are more prevalent, influenced by the country’s unique economic needs.
These distinctions underline how local regulations and economic priorities shape the legal needs in each region. Germany’s emphasis on corporate governance, data protection and employment law sets it apart, ensuring that firms specializing in these areas are well-positioned to address the country’s most pressing legal challenges.
Discover the Top Law Firms in Germany
This first edition of Best Law Firms - Germany sets a new benchmark for legal recognition in the country, highlighting the top-performing law firms across a wide range of practice areas and regions.
Our transparent research process ensures that only the most distinguished firms are featured, providing clients with a reliable resource for identifying the best legal talent.
We encourage you to explore the full Best Law Firms - Germany rankings to see which firms have been recognized for their excellence. Visit the rankings to find the leading legal service providers in Germany and learn more about their expertise.
