The Chambers and Partners guide is one of the most trusted resources in the legal industry, used by in-house counsel worldwide to find and evaluate outside counsel. With roughly 350,000 legal professionals interviewed globally each year across 1,800 practice areas in the U.S. alone, the rankings carry significant weight in how firms are perceived and how work is awarded.

In this episode of "Spill the Ink," James Haggerty and Kush Cheema, both USA research directors at Chambers and Partners, join Michelle Calcote King to discuss the attributes that define a great submission. They share practical guidance on selecting referees, structuring matter highlights and approaching the process with strategic intentionality. James and Kush also discuss broader market trends — from the surge in boutique and mid-market firm participation to how major law firm mergers, market consolidation and AI adoption are reshaping how Chambers evaluates and ranks firms.

Here's a Glimpse of What You'll Learn

• How the Chambers USA guide serves as a critical resource for in-house counsel making hiring decisions and narrowing their outside counsel options.

• Why demand growth is shifting toward mid-market and smaller firms and what that means for firms evaluating their competitive positioning.

• How Chambers handles submissions and rankings during and after major law firm mergers, and why firms shouldn't panic about steep drops.

• What clients are telling Chambers researchers about AI adoption, billing efficiency and the potential shift away from the billable hour.

• The most common submission mistakes firms make and how to structure matter highlights for maximum impact.

• Why selecting the right referees — not just the most senior ones — can make or break a firm's ranking outcome.

• How smaller and boutique firms can leverage the Chambers process to stand out in local and niche markets through programs like Chambers Spotlight.

• The strategic approach that distinguishes top-performing submissions, from championing breakout attorneys to aligning referees with highlighted work.

About Our Featured Guests

Kush Cheema is the North America Research Director at Chambers and Partners. He joined Chambers as a research analyst in 2015 and is now based in the company's New York office. He oversees external outreach to the US and Canadian legal market.

James Haggerty is the USA - Operations Research Director at Chambers and Partners. Having joined Chambers as an analyst in 2015, James has led US research from the company's head office in London since 2021. He heads a team of up to 100 analysts researching the world's leading legal market.

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

• Check out Chambers and Partners

• Follow Chambers and Partners on LinkedIn and Facebook

• Connect with Kush Cheema on LinkedIn

• Connect with James Haggerty on LinkedIn

• Say hello to Michelle Calcote King on LinkedIn

Sponsor For This Episode

This episode is brought to you by Reputation Ink.

Founded by Michelle Calcote King, Reputation Ink is a marketing and public relations agency that serves B2B professional services firms of all shapes and sizes across the United States, including corporate law firms and architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) firms.

Reputation Ink understands how sophisticated corporate buyers find and select professional services firms. For more than a decade, they have helped firms grow through thought leadership-fueled strategies, including public relations, content marketing, video marketing, social media, podcasting, marketing strategy services, creative services and more.

To learn more, visit www.rep-ink.com or email them at [email protected] today.