Europe Women in Business Law Awards 2012 – winners announced

The lawyers had gathered to celebrate the achievements of the firms setting the standard in terms of female-friendly work practices, and women leading the field in the legal sector across Europe.

Ex-Simmons & Simmons senior partner and former Commissioner for Public Appointments Dame Janet Gaymer, collected the Lifetime Achievement award and Ingrid Simler QC, head of Devereux Chambers, picked up the Outstanding Achievement prize.

In the firm categories, Linklaters was named best international firm for women in business law. Baker & McKenzie collected the best firm for work-life balance, Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft was named most innovative firm, DLA Piper was rewarded for its mentoring programme and White & Case picked up the best international firm for talent management.

A full list of winners is listed below. For more information contact Melanie Petch at mpetch@euromoneyplc.com.

Best in aviation

Vonnick le Guillou, Bird & Bird

Best in banking and finance

Nathalie Hobbs, Linklaters

Best in capital markets: Debt

Sarah Murphy, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

Best in capital markets: Equity

Gabriele Apfelbacher, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton

Best in commercial arbitration

Gabrielle Kaufmann-Kohler, Lévi Kaufmann-Kohler

Best in competition & antitrust

Catriona Hatton, Hogan Lovells

Best in copyright

Lisa Peets, Covington & Burling

Best in corporate governance

Pauliina Tenhunen, Castrén & Snellman

Best in energy, natural resources & mining

Penelope Warne, CMS Cameron McKenna

Best in environment

Vanessa Havard-Williams, Linklaters

Best in financial regulation

Ruth Fox, Slaughter and May

Best in insolvency & restructuring

Patricia Godfrey, Nabarro

Best in insurance & reinsurance

Helena Rempler, Mannheimer Swartling

Best in investment funds

Isabelle Lebbe, Arendt & Medernach

Best in labour & employment

Mirjam de Blécourt, Baker & McKenzie

Best in life sciences

Morag Macdonald, Bird & Bird

Best in litigation

Isabel Foley, Arthur Cox

Best in mergers & acquisitions

Frances Murphy, Slaughter and May

Best in offshore

Zillah Howard, Bedell

Best in patents

Penny Gilbert, Powell Gilbert

Best in private equity

Stephanie Biggs, Kirkland & Ellis

Best in product liability

Alison Brown, Arnold & Porter

Best in real estate

Anne Byrne, Linklaters

Rising star

Helen Crossley, Linklaters

Best in shipping and maritime

Ann Fenech, Fenech & Fenech

Best in structured finance

Sharon Lewis, Hogan Lovells

Best in tax

Sara Luder, Slaughter and May

Best in tax dispute resolution

Philippa Whipple QC, One Crown Office Row

Best in TMT

Dóra Petrányi, CMS Cameron McKenna

Best in trademark

Karen Fong, Rouse Legal

Best in transfer pricing

Isabel Verlinden, PwC

Best in trusts and estates

Shân Warnock-Smith QC, Five Stone Buildings

Best in white collar crime

Louise Delahunty, Sullivan & Cromwell

Austria

Wolf Theiss

Baltics

Tark Grunte Sutkiene

Belgium

NautaDutilh

Bulgaria

Borislav Boyanov & Co

Cyprus

Chrysses Demetriades & Co

Czech Republic

CMS Cameron McKenna

Denmark

Plesner

Finland

Castrén & Snellman

France

Taj

Germany

Olswang

Greece

Karatzas & Partners Law Firm

Hungary

CMS Cameron McKenna

Ireland

William Fry

Israel

Kantor Elhanani Tal & Co Advocates

Italy

Portolano Cavallo Studio Legale

Kazakhstan

Linkage & Mind

Luxembourg

NautaDutilh

Netherlands

NautaDutilh

Norway

Thommessen

Offshore

KPMG Malta

Poland

Baker & McKenzie

Portugal

PLMJ

Romania

Nestor Nestor Diculescu Kingston Petersen

Russia

White & Case

Slovak Republic

Ružicka Csekes (in association with CMS)

Spain

Cuatrecasas Gonçalves Pereira

Sweden

Mannheimer Swartling

Switzerland

Pestalozzi Attorneys at law

Turkey

Pekin & Pekin

UK national firm

Boodle Hatfield

UK international firm

CMS Cameron McKenna

Ukraine

DLA Piper

International Financial Law Review in-house award

Laura Holleman, Goldman Sachs

International Tax Review in-house award

Sarah Fahy, Sony

Managing IP in-house award

Catriona Hammer, GE Healthcare

Best in-house team

Citi

Best gender diversity initiative by national firm

Mannheimer Swartling – Women's network and professional development programme

Best gender diversity initiative by international firm

Linklaters – Gender action plan (GAP)

Best firm for minority women lawyers

Hogan Lovells – London's role in the global strategic diversity business plan

Most innovative international firm

Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft

Best national firm mentoring programme

Arthur Cox – Firmwide mentoring

Best international firm mentoring programme

DLA Piper – The women's network mentoring programme

Best national firm for work-life balance

Boodle Hatfield – Policies on flexible working, enhanced maternity leave, home working, time off for dependents and job sharing

Best international firm for work-life balance

Baker & McKenzie – BakerBalance

Best firm for pro bono work

Clifford Chance

Best national firm for talent management

NautaDutilh Netherlands – Talent development at NautaDutilh

Best international firm for talent management

White & Case – Global women's initiative

Best national firm for women in business law

Boodle Hatfield

Best international firm for women in business law

Linklaters