Chambers names Baker & McKenzie European Law Firm of the Year 2012

Prague, Czech Republic, 18 May 2012 - In the fifth year of the prestigious Chambers Europe Awards 2012, Baker & McKenzie has won European Law Firm of the Year. Baker & McKenzie succeeded in the competition of over 150 law firms. These annual awards are held by the independent British rating company, Chambers and Partners, based on the evaluation by clients as well as law firms themselves.

Chambers Europe Awards reflect the succeses of the firms over the past 12 months, their strategic growth, contribution to advocacy as well as participation in key contracts or the client service. European Law Firm of the Year is the main award in this competition.

Joanna Thomas, Editor of Chambers Europe, commented: "Many congratulations to Baker & McKenzie, which wins this award for the first time. We chose the firm for its extraordinary growth and development during challenging times, and for its pioneering spirit. The firm has consistently improved its European rankings and its investment in being a truly global player has paid off with clients."

"Baker & McKenzie is a client-driven firm and we recognize that Chambers' research is also client-led, which makes this award a particularly important landmark for us. We are delighted that clients recognize our continued focus on quality and service both locally in each of our jurisdictions and across the region as a whole," said Alexandr César, Managing Partner of the Prague office of Baker & McKenzie.

Baker & McKenzie has 27 offices and 4,000 lawyers and professional staff in Europe, accounting for in the region of 40% of the firm's annual global revenues. The firm's newest European offices are in Istanbul, where we opened in November 2011, and Luxembourg, which opened in October 2010.

"Europe remains a powerhouse of the global economy and we are pleased to see our regionally top-tier position recognized by this outstanding award. We thank the Chambers Europe research team for all their work, our clients for taking the time to talk to Chambers, and our 4,000 people across the region for all their hard work," Alexandr César added.

The firm was also recently named South East Asia Law Firm of the Year at the Chambers Asia-Pacific Awards.