Legal Rankings 2025: Key Deadlines and How to Stand Out Across Emerging Markets
Why Legal Rankings Matter and How to Stay Ahead of Submission Deadlines
For law firms operating in competitive and rapidly evolving legal markets, visibility in respected legal directories like The Legal 500, Chambers and Partners, and IFLR1000 is not just a badge of honor — it’s a critical tool for business development and reputation management. These rankings are a go-to resource for general counsel, clients, and international partners when selecting legal counsel, and being featured in them signals credibility, expertise, and market standing.
But a successful submission isn’t just about ticking boxes. It's about telling your firm’s story with clarity and impact — showcasing landmark cases, standout individuals, and the firm’s unique approach to delivering legal services. A compelling submission highlights how the firm is growing, how it adds value, and how it distinguishes itself in a saturated market. Ensuring accurate representation of practice areas, partner involvement, deal volume, and client testimonials can significantly influence rankings and open doors to high-profile mandates.
🗓️ Key Submission Deadlines for Legal Rankings
Here is an overview of the upcoming submission deadlines for your region across The Legal 500, Chambers and Partners, and IFLR1000. While some official 2025 dates are yet to be confirmed, we've included expected timelines based on previous years for early planning:
| Country | Chambers Deadline | The Legal 500 (Expected) | IFLR1000 Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Armenia | 23 Apr 2025 – General Business Law | 5 Aug 2025 | – |
| Azerbaijan | 9 May 2025 – General Business Law | 5 Aug 2025 | – |
| Georgia | 28 May 2025 – Dispute Resolution, General Business Law | 5 Aug 2025 | – |
| Kazakhstan | 9 May 2025 – Corporate & Finance, Dispute Resolution, Energy & Natural Resources | 5 Aug 2025 | 30 Jun 2025 – Banking, Capital Markets, M&A, Projects |
| Kyrgyzstan | 9 May 2025 – General Business Law | – | 30 Jun 2025 – Financial & Corporate |
| Moldova | 28 May 2025 – Corporate/Commercial | 5 Aug 2025 | – |
| Serbia | 28 May 2025 – 7 practice areas incl. M&A, Energy, IP | 5 Aug 2025 | – |
| Tajikistan | 9 May 2025 – General Business Law | 5 Aug 2025 | 30 Jun 2025 – Financial & Corporate |
| Türkiye | 28 May 2025 – Arbitration, M&A, Employment, etc. 3 Sep 2025 – Competition, Projects, IP, TMT |
5 Aug 2025 | – |
| Ukraine | 28 May 2025 – Banking, M&A, IP, Tax, etc. | 5 Aug 2025 | – |
| UAE | 23 April 2025 – IP, Regulatory, TMT
22 May 2025 – FinTech Legal 28 May 2025 – Commercial Contracts; Corporate/M&A; Dispute Resolution; Offshore; Venture Capital & Emerging Companies |
5 Aug 2025 | 30 Jun 2025 – Banking and finance, Capital markets, Financial and corporate, M&A, Projects; Real estate |
| Uzbekistan | 9 May 2025 – General Business Law | 5 Aug 2025 | 30 Jun 2025 – Financial & Corporate, Projects |
🇦🇲 Armenia
Legal 500 EMEA: Deadline (TBC) – Expected: 5 August 2025
Practice Area: Leading Firms
Chambers Europe 2026: 23 April 2025
General Business Law
🇦🇿 Azerbaijan
Legal 500 EMEA: Expected deadline: 5 August 2025
Practice Area: Leading Firms
Chambers Asia-Pacific 2026: 9 May 2025
General Business Law
🇬🇪 Georgia
Legal 500 EMEA: Expected deadline: 5 August 2025
Banking and Finance, Commercial, Corporate and M&A, Dispute Resolution, Real Estate and Construction
Chambers Europe 2026:
Dispute Resolution: 28 May 2025
General Business Law: 28 May 2025
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
Legal 500 EMEA: Expected deadline: 5 August 2025
Multiple practice areas including Banking & Finance, Energy & Natural Resources, IP, Tax
Chambers Asia-Pacific 2026: 9 May 2025
Corporate & Finance, Dispute Resolution, Energy & Natural Resources
IFLR1000: 30 June 2025
Banking & Finance, Capital Markets, M&A, Project Development
🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan
Chambers Asia-Pacific 2026: 9 May 2025
General Business Law
IFLR1000: 30 June 2025
Financial and Corporate
🇲🇩 Moldova
Legal 500 EMEA: Expected deadline: 5 August 2025
Leading Firms
Chambers Europe 2026: 28 May 2025
Corporate/Commercial
🇷🇸 Serbia
Legal 500 EMEA: Expected deadline: 5 August 2025
Banking, Corporate/M&A, Energy, IP, Real Estate, Employment
Chambers Europe 2026: 28 May 2025
Multiple practice areas from Dispute Resolution to Infrastructure
🇹🇯 Tajikistan
Legal 500 EMEA: Expected deadline: 5 August 2025
Leading Firms
Chambers Asia-Pacific 2026: 9 May 2025
General Business Law
IFLR1000: 30 June 2025
Financial and Corporate
🇹🇷 Türkiye
Legal 500 EMEA: Expected deadline: 5 August 2025
Covers 18+ practice areas including Arbitration, Energy, Compliance, Insurance, TMT, Tax, Foreign Firms
Chambers Europe 2026:
Most submissions: 28 May 2025
Others (e.g. Competition, IP, Projects & Energy): 3 September 2025
🇺🇦 Ukraine
Legal 500 EMEA: Expected deadline: 5 August 2025
Covers a wide range including Capital Markets, IP, Tax, White-Collar Crime
Chambers Europe 2026: 28 May 2025
Full suite of practice areas, including Restructuring/Insolvency
🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates
Legal 500 EMEA: Expected deadline: 5 August 2025
Covers a wide range including Banking and finance, Capital markets, Intellectual property, TMT
Chambers Global 2026:
Intellectual Property; Regulatory: Financial Services; TMT: IT, Telecoms & Data; TMT: Media, Entertainment & Sport; - 23 April 2025
FinTech Legal - 22 May 2025
Commercial Contracts; Corporate/M&A; Dispute Resolution; Offshore; Venture Capital & Emerging Companies - 28 May 2025
IFLR1000: 30 June 2025
Banking and finance, Capital markets, Financial and corporate, M&A
Projects; Real estate
🇺🇿 Uzbekistan
Legal 500 EMEA: Expected deadline: 5 August 2025
Leading Firms
Chambers Asia-Pacific 2026: 9 May 2025
General Business Law
IFLR1000: 30 June 2025
Financial and Corporate, Project Development
📌 How Smartiee Agency Helps with Legal Rankings
Since 2017, Smartiee Agency has been a trusted partner for law firms preparing their legal directory submissions across Europe, Central Asia, and beyond. Our team specializes in turning raw firm data, client successes, and strategic priorities into clear, structured, and persuasive submissions that resonate with editorial teams.
We don’t just format your achievements — we translate them into compelling narratives backed by evidence, practice-specific insights, and market differentiators. Whether it’s coordinating referee feedback, structuring case highlights, or helping partners articulate their value, we ensure that your firm is represented with precision and confidence.
From boutique practices to full-service firms, we tailor each submission to align with ranking methodologies and editor expectations — because getting listed is good, but getting ranked highly is what we aim for.
Let us help you stay ahead of the deadlines. Reach out early to ensure your firm is ready to shine in 2025 rankings.