Introduction to the 2022 edition

ART.1 – PROMOTERS, PURPOSE AND VALIDITY PERIOD: on the initiative promoted by Iberian Legal Group, in order, among other things, to stimulate competition and the growth of the sector, the “Forty under 40 Awards” (by now the “event “) with the aim of recognizing the excellence of the Iberian legal sector (a.k.a Individual Lawyers and Professionals*) who have distinguished themselves for the activities carried out in the year 2021 (hereinafter the “Reference Period of Activities”).The Initiative is governed in the manner indicated below.

ART. 2 – METHOD OF PARTECIPATION AND SELECTION: participation in the Initiative is reserved for Individual Lawyers and Professionals* who have given their assistance with particular focus, to domestic and international companies in the Activity Reference Period (separately and jointly, hereinafter the “Participants”).
A. FIRST PHASE: IDENTIFICATION AND CLASSIFICATION OF THE PARTICIPANTS
Participants will be preliminarily identified and nominated through questionnaires; based on the results of the research carried out during the Activity Reference Period, Iberian Legal Group, will draw up the lists of Participants by inserting them into one or more of the following pre-determined categories.

b. SECOND PHASE: LIST OF THE FINALISTS: Iberian Legal Group will draw up a list of finalists based on the qualitative and quantitative research carried out from the moment the submissions are received to the time the finalists list is published. The list will be announced and published by July 18th, 2022.

c. THIRD PHASE: Iberian Legal Group will present the ranking list of the Finalists during the Jury meeting and will propose to the Jury the name of one Law Firm and one individual Lawyer/Professional as candidates for each category, motivating his/her vote.

The Jury, having received the lists of the finalists (a.k.a. “Law firms” and “Individual Lawyers and / or Professionals*”) for each of the categories identified and after having listened to the vote pitch and the motivation from Iberian Legal Group, through their own vote (one vote per capita), will decide the winners to whom the recognition will be awarded. The Jury will be composed of:

– recognized experts from the corporate world in the sector;
– representative of Iberian Lawyer, appointed by Iberian Legal Group (even in the case of more than one representative, Iberian Legal Group will have the right to only one vote);
– any representatives of industry associations.

The Jury will be chaired by the representative of Iberian Legal Group.

The criteria taken into consideration by the Jury for the assignment of awards to the best “Law Firm” Finalists will be as follows:

1. transactions carried out (value and number) in the Reference Period of the Activities;
2. significant growth factors during the Activity Reference Period (eg promotions, hiring or leaving of new professionals, mergers or acquisitions with other international firms or networks, national or international expansion);
3. positioning and image

The criteria taken into consideration by the Jury for awarding the awards to the best “Single Lawyers and Professionals” Finalists will be as follows:

1. technical, legal and negotiating skills;
2. knowledge of business dynamics related to the product sector (industry);
3. commitment and ability to relate to the customer;4. professional reputation among colleagues.

ART. 3 – COMMUNICATION OF THE BEST FINALISTS AND AWARD CEREMONY: the communication of the names of the top finalists (a.k.a. “Law Firms” and “Individual Lawyers and Professionals*”) for each of the categories identified, will be communicated during the Gala Evening. Iberian Legal Group reserves the right to promptly communicate to the Participants/Finalists further details regarding the modalities of participation and conduct of the Gala Evening.

ART. 4 – FORMALIZATION AND RETREIVING OF AWARDS: the awarding of recognition to the top Finalists (a.k.a. Law Firms or Individual Lawyers and Professionals) for each of the categories identified will be formalized by the Jury, through a representative identified by Iberian Legal Group, during the evening. The recognition will have no economic value, as it is a purely symbolic public recognition.

The formalization of the recognition will take place only towards the relative top Finalist (a.k.a. Law Firms or Individual Lawyers and Professionals), for each category of reference, who must personally participate in the Evening and collect the recognition assigned to him/her.Failure to retrieve the recognition award during the evening by an institutional representative of the winners in any category will be irrevocably understood as a waiver of the same, which, in this case, will be automatically assigned to the next top Finalist of the corresponding category, classified immediately after the renouncing winner, and/or in any case will be irrevocably assigned by Iberian Legal Group in an indisputable way.

Iberian Legal Group authorizes the winners to utilize the image benefits resulting from obtaining the “Iberian Lawyer awards”.

*for TAX category only.