International law firm Gowling WLG has been ranked as one of the top two most innovative law firms in Europe by the Financial Times. The firm narrowly missed winning the top spot by three points, but was ranked ahead of several magic circle firms. It also achieved the second highest ranking for legal expertise out of the top 50 firms making the table.
As well as taking the second spot, Gowling WLG won the "Innovation in driving value for clients" category for its work with technology giant Dyson. The firm put together a global operation to enforce Dyson's IP rights in its bladeless fan technology in more than 50 countries, all co-ordinated and overseen from a single UK office.
The firm was highly commended in the following categories:
- Innovation in strategic collaboration for clients
- Innovation in restructuring and reorganisation
- Innovation in mergers & acquisitions
And was also commended in:
- Innovation in business development and knowledge sharing
- Innovation in technology (twice)
Gowling WLG's chief executive, David Fennell, said: "This is a fantastic result for Gowling WLG and really showcases the huge strides we are making in innovation and client service. I'm thrilled we've been commended for our innovations in business services as well; the work of our non-legal professionals is crucial to the smooth operation of the firm and directly contributes to the successes we enjoy with our clients."
Partner and head of innovation and digital, Derek Southall, added: "We are extremely fortunate to have so many phenomenal clients and people. For the last three years, we have been listening carefully to our clients and, more recently, working hard with our Canadian colleagues, to build a firm which really thinks differently - an innovative firm which anticipates and meets clients' needs in a rapidly changing world. We owe this ranking to our people and are delighted their efforts have been recognised by the FT."
Gowling WLG hopes to continue its winning ways at the British Legal Awards on 24 November. The firm has been shortlisted in CSR/Diversity Initiative of the Year, Property Team of the Year, and Litigation and Dispute Resolution Team of the Year.