Juve: German Legal Directory Update

Anyone who works in the German legal market knows Juve.

The country’s main source of legal news, Juve produces a range of influential publications and websites.

Unlike most other European countries, where UK and US-based international legal directories are dominant, Juve’s native handbuch is a market leader.

Recently I caught up with Antje Neumann, the senior Juve editor in charge of the company’s annual directories, to learn more about recent developments.

Ms.Neumann joined the Cologne-based company in 1998 after several years practicing law with the leading German insurance firm Bach Langheid & Dallmayr.

As a German-language publisher, Juve is often characterized as having a domestic focus.

While it’s true that Juve is known for its in-depth coverage of the German regional market, notably  Germany’s renowned “Mittelstand” mid-market companies, the directory also extensively reports on the offices of large, international firms in Germany.

And not everyone knows that the company publishes an annual English language version of the “Handbuch Wirtschaftskanzleien” – German Commercial Law Firms (GCLF).

GCLF provides rankings and editorial commentary for 600 commercial law firms.

As Juve describes:

“Currently in its 14th edition, GCLF is the only book of its kind produced by German publishers for the German market.  It is independently researched and written by an editorial team, which also writes reports and analyzes the legal market in our monthly magazine JUVE Rechtsmarkt.”

Although the English-language version is less detailed than the German directory, it still provides comprehensive coverage of the market.

The publication is divided into four sections: a national review analyzing the leading firms, the leading regional law firms, a list of those firms with the strongest names in particular practices, and a special “firm of the year” award for standout firms in certain practices and regions.

Like many traditional research-based directories, Juve operates on annual cycle.

Juve’s editorial team interviews private practice lawyers, clients, legal academics and judges over the course of the year.

Questionnaire requests go out at the beginning of January, with submissions due in late March.

The next edition of the German edition of the directory is published at the end of October 2013, with the English language version following in February-March 2014.

Circulation is targeted at buyers of legal services:

12,000 copies of the German language 20,500-print run are sent to directors, in-house counsel, and CEOs of companies, ranging from the important “Mittelstand” medium-sized enterprises to major multinationals.

7,000 copies are distributed to lawyers in German and international firms, and the remainder to universities, courts and libraries.

12,000 copies of the English language edition are sent free of charge to in-house counsel and law firms in the US, UK, Europe, Asia, Middle East, Latin America, and South Africa.

Juve’s editorial team is based in Cologne, and comprises around 20 people – a mixture of former lawyers, journalists, and those with business and commercial experience.

Antje and I also talked about Juve’s plans for 2013.

She said the company was expanding its coverage of the Austrian market.

Juve magazine has recently featured rankings of Austrian law firms.

To date, there have been sections on corporate, competition, tax, banking, and real estate.

A new section covering notaries was added to the Juve directory two years ago, and that is set to be expanded.

Meanwhile the increasingly tough regulatory environment has led to a growth in demand for compliance-related work in German law firms, and Juve plans to develop its content in this area.

There are also moves to reflect the increasing globalization of the German legal market – with more detailed coverage of international lawyers operating in Germany, and German lawyers based outside Germany, but advising on German law issues.

(Pictured: Cologne Cathedral / Kölner Dom)