The first problem with the vanity legal awards industry is that they are often ridiculously wide in the nature of the awards they seek to distribute, to the extent to which the awards are meaningless (even if they were distributed on merit).
For example, Wealth & Finance INTL magazine previously awarded Gibbs Wyatt Stone ‘Most Outstanding Law Firm of 2016, the UK’. I would not argue with the outstanding nature of the work we undertake but modesty does call even me to question whether a niche costs firm can ever seriously be considered the best law firm in the whole country (even if only for 2016).
Alternatively, they give “awards” that are not remotely appropriate to the firm in question (eg we have been offered “Asset Manager of the Year – North America”). You might think they would take a little more trouble to find out what kind of a firm they are contacting before sending the email out.
Fair play then to Acquisition International magazine for awarding Gibbs Wyatt Stone ‘Most Outstanding Legal Costs Litigation Firm 2018 – London’. This at least shows they have the sense to consider the nature of the work undertaken by the firm before sending out a targeted email. I am not sure it is sufficient to persuade me to sign up to one of their packages to promote winning this “prestigious” award, such as:
The Exclusive Package – 1,450 GBP – (Limited spaces available)
– Supporting image and headline on the front cover of the magazine
– A 4-page editorial inclusion in the first 20 pages
– 3 hard copies of the edition your inclusion appears in
– Your inclusion replicated on the homepage of our website
– Your inclusion in the monthly newsletter, for 3 months
– A 3-month web banner
– 3 bespoke crystal trophies
– A personalized digital logo for use in your own marketing
– High-resolution PDF copies of your inclusion
These online only magazines are clearly not read by anybody (other than other reward recipients wanting to read their own self-written glowing testimonials).
It is clear from the contents of this magazine, by way of example only, that there are legal and financial firms across the globe prepared to part with good money for these meaningless vanity awards whose sole purpose, presumably, is to persuade potential clients that these are a mark of quality. How depressing.
