Frequently Asked Questions

When and where is the 2009 New Zealand Law Awards™ ceremony being held?
The 2009 New Zealand Law Awards™ ceremony will take place at the Auckland Museum Event Centre on Thursday, 5 November 2009.

When can I nominate someone for the 2009 New Zealand Law Awards™ ?
Nominations are open from 7 August to 8 September 2009.

When can I vote for nominees for the 2009 New Zealand Law Awards™?
Voting by registered and eligible voters is open from 18 September to 6 October 2009.

How and where do I register, nominate, and/or vote?
Nominations and votes are received for all of the Law Awards via the website: http://www.lawawards.co.nz. You must register on the website to nominate/vote before you can submit a nomination/vote.

Can I nominate a candidate for the 2009 New Zealand Law Awards™?
Yes. Anyone can nominate a candidate for any of the Law Awards. You can only nominate a candidate once in each Law Award, but you can make a nomination for more than one Law Award.

Can I nominate myself or my firm?
Yes. Self-nominations will be accepted. However, where there is competition for a place in the final list of nominees, self-nominations may not be counted. It is therefore better for candidates to be nominated by their clients, employees, or professional/business associates (as appropriate).

Am I eligible to vote in the 2009 New Zealand Law Awards™?
You may be eligible to vote for nominees for some Law Awards, but not others. Voter eligibility requirements will be set out on each of the Law Award description pages when voting opens.

Is there any limit to the number of nominees for each Law Award?
Yes, the limit for the number of nominees for each Law Award is 10. Exceptions: the Legal Personnel Employer of Choice Award has unlimited nominees; and the LexisNexis Regional/Suburban Law Firm of the Year Award shortlists the top 25 nominees.

Does the number of nominations received by a candidate matter?
Yes. Where the number of nominees for a category exceeds 10 (or 25 for the LexisNexis Regional/Suburban Law Firm of the Year Award), the number of nominations the candidate receives will count towards its inclusion in the final list of nominees.

How are the winners decided?
From 18 September to 6 October, registered voters will be sent an email containing a link to the online voting form, which they will need to complete and submit on or before 6 October. The voting form contains specific questions targeted to elicit qualitative information about their opinions and perspectives on the candidate’s performance relative to the criteria for the Law Award. Each question carries a rating to provide weighted quantitative data to help identify the winner.

Will the nominees/finalists/winners find out who voted for them?
No. Voting is confidential. Voter contact details are provided by the voters themselves when they register to nominate and/or to vote, not by the nominees.

How will our clients know they can nominate or vote for us?
Law firms, barristers, solicitors, and in-house legal teams are encouraged to promote the Law Awards to their clients and business associates. The Law Awards will also be promoted in NZLawyer, NZLawyer Online, The National Business Review, and other media.

Is there a risk of vote-stacking?
No. Each registered voter will have only one vote for each Law Award for which they are eligible to vote.

How can I, as an employee of a firm, participate?
You can nominate your firm for any of the Law Awards, and you can vote for your firm in the Legal Personnel Employer of Choice Award.

What is the benefit of being a nominee in the 2009 New Zealand Law Awards?

Recognition and prestige - As clients or professional/business associates are the judges, the nominees and winners of the Law Awards can justifiably set themselves apart from their competitors as providers of excellent client service. The finalists in each of the Law Awards will be announced on this website and in NZLawyer magazine (circulation 9,950) on 19 September. The winners receive exposure throughout the Asia-Pacific region via the Law Awards website and in the post-ceremony profiles featured in NZLawyer.

Maintaining and increasing profile with clients - Through the campaign and media coverage in NZLawyer, NZLawyer Online, Lawyers Weekly (circulation 21,590 in Australia), The National Business Review, and other media, the Law Awards raise each candidate’s profile within the market. This increases the nominees’ ability to attract new business from within New Zealand and overseas, particularly from Australia and Asia.

Recruitment – Being nominated for the Legal Personnel Employer of Choice Award will benefit a law firm’s profile with existing staff and prospective employees to aid with staff retention and recruitment. Similarly, the profile and recognition firms receive when nominated for any of the Law Awards assist them in attracting prospective employees to their firm.