National law firm Bond Dickinson, which has a large office in Bristol, has been recognised as one of Europe’s most innovative, gaining 14th place in a prestigious top 50 table.
The firm was praised in three categories – collaboration, managing talent and rule of law – in the Financial Times Innovative Lawyers Report. 
The report includes the annual FT 50 table of the most innovative law firms and legal services providers across the continent.
The report was compiled by the FT alongside its research partner RSG Consulting. Legal innovation is assessed through interviews, extensive research and analysis, including robust client, independent, and expert references.
More than 1,000 submissions and nominations were received from law firms and in-house legal departments for the coveted awards.
Bond Dickinson’s recognition came in the following:
- Collaboration: The firm was highly commended for working in tandem with rival firms Kennedys and Mills & Reeve in order to support major insurer AIG Europe Ltd, enhancing AIG’s leading insurance product for the SME markets, by giving its policyholders access to a range of commercial legal advice.
- Managing Talent: it was highly commended for its award-winning apprenticeship scheme, which provides an alternative route in the legal profession and has increased retention rates for its paralegal staff.
- Rule of Law: Bond Dickinson was commended for its CSR efforts, partnering with the University of Greenwich Legal Advice Centre, developing a pro bono small business advice clinic to help unemployed aspiring entrepreneurs set up their own business.
Bond Dickinson head of innovation Nigel Emmerson said: “We are delighted to have been recognised for our innovation drive and praised for projects where we have demonstrated novelty and initiative.
“We firmly believe that the legal sector needs to embrace innovation in order to remain competitive, relevant and progressive, which is why we set up our innovation group to help identify potential innovation opportunities and coordinate initiatives and projects across the firm. The relentless pace of innovation however means that we need to keep challenging ourselves to think differently about how we can deliver the most value to our clients and our people.”
Earlier this year, Bond Dickinson was ranked in the top five firms for innovation in the Best Legal Adviser Report for 2016-2017. The report also revealed that innovation in law firms has become of paramount importance to clients – in 2015 only 28% said it was important whereas in 2016 this rose to 62%. Bond Dickinson was ranked in the top for both Overall Innovation and Alternative Low-Cost Centres.
Bristol is Bond Dickinson’s second largest office where it employs more than 250 staff. The firm is merging this month with US firm Womble Carlyle to form the transatlantic firm Womble Bond Dickinson.
