Cleary Gottlieb Ranked 14th Among Top 50 Innovative Law Firms in Financial Times Law Index – Europe

Cleary Gottlieb has been recognized in the FT Law Firm Index – Europe as a top 50 innovative law firm.

This ranking, published by the Financial Times, recognizes the most innovative law firms in Europe and takes into account how law firms are innovating as businesses, managing their people, and reinventing services and delivery models. Cleary placed in the 14th position.

Cleary has also been recognized at the FT Innovative Lawyers Awards Europe 2025 with the following honors:

• Standout for Sustainability
  The firm represented the government of Barbados in a pioneering “debt-for-climate-resilience swap,” by securing reductions of interest on sovereign debt in return for commitments to invest savings in projects to protect against damage caused by climate change. The refinancing, completed in late 2024 and backed by development bank guarantees, required Barbados to take out a $297mn loan, but on more favourable terms than previous debt. The fiscal savings of about $125mn will be spent on projects to improve water and sewage management on the Caribbean island.
• Highly Commended for Responsible Business
  London-based lawyers worked with campaign groups Reprieve and the Cornell Center on the Death Penalty Worldwide to help win rulings in 2024 from the African Court on Human and People’s Rights. These ordered Tanzania to scrap both the mandatory death penalty and hanging as a method of execution, and to retry two related cases.
• Highly Commended for Digital Strategy
  The firm acquired London-based legal tech start-up Springbok AI this year to strengthen development of its digital services. The deal secured ownership of the business behind the SpringLaw proprietary platform and its team of ten data scientists and AI engineers. They form the core of an “AI acceleration” unit briefed to push forward the firm’s development of bespoke systems and build on Cleary’s existing use of AI-powered and other law tech systems.

Our ranking and commendations are a testament to the firm’s dedication to providing creative solutions for clients and helping to guide them toward agile, sustainable outcomes.

Learn more about the Financial Times Law Firm Index – Europe.