Submit a Nomination

Corporate legal executives are welcome to self-nominate or submit a joint nomination with their outside counsel or legal service providers (LSPs). Law firms and LSPs are welcome to take the lead on submitting nominations for work done in conjunction with corporate clients. The submitter of the nomination is responsible for obtaining approvals from others named on the nomination prior to submission. No deadline extensions will be granted for the purposes of obtaining approvals.

Nominees do not have to be a member or a sponsor of ACC to be considered for the ACC Value Champion award.

Prior year nominees are welcome to submit again. Every year, several of the winners are past finalists.

Submissions are due by midnight EST January 31.

Nominees must define the scope and duration of the project being highlighted; provide results on spend, predictability and/or outcomes; and include a brief narrative on how the results were achieved. Judges are interested in innovation and/or replicability — pointing out what is unique and providing helpful information about how your results were achieved is advised.

The "Supplemental Materials" upload option is for tools, templates, and exhibits. Please refrain from submitting marketing material, white papers or PowerPoint presentations that amount to a longer version of your value story.

Nominees should show how results have been measured over at least one year in one or more of the categories listed below.

Recognizing that metrics used in legal departments vary, we simply ask that you clearly explain the measures used, providing context (e.g., percent change rather than absolute figures).

Categories, and their examples, include:

• Spending: year-over-year percentage reduction in a defined category
• Predictability: percentage of matters closed within 5 percent of budget set forth at beginning or key stage
• Outcomes: percentage reduction of disputes, claims, settlements, etc., resulting from the value initiative; improvement in process and/or quality metrics

The ACC Value Champions recognizes value in all shapes and sizes. Sustainability of results is important; projects submitted should reflect results measured over a period of at least 12 months.

Examples of the Types of Projects:

• Applying value-based fees to improve goal alignment and spend predictability
• Implementing a project management program that resulted in hitting budgets on every matter throughout the year
• Putting a portfolio of similar work into a retainer agreement and achieving great added-value consulting, while focusing on prevention of litigation and desired predictability
• Mapping out matter processes to pinpoint inefficiencies and redesigning workflow to eliminate unnecessary steps and costs
• Installing knowledge management programs and/or improving knowledge sharing, resulting in reduced costs across the board
• Successfully collaborating to come up with ways to dramatically reduce claims and win more cases
• Employing a combination of value practices to drive value through savings, predictability, and improved outcomes
• Innovating: what you have done to improve the value of legal spending that is not common practice?

Submitters do have the option of putting in separate nominations for distinct value initiatives. Law firms and legal service providers may put in nominations with multiple corporate clients (each nomination must have the approval of a client co-nominee). There is no limit in the number of nominations from a given company or firm.

A panel of judges comprised of former ACC Value Champions and ACC Value Challenge Steering Committee members.

As needed, finalists may be contacted by a judge or an ACC staff member to elicit additional information or to verify the facts of your submission.

The judging panel takes into account the magnitude and sustainability of results achieved, management practices employed, innovation, collaboration, and reproducibility of the value practices employed. Extra credit is given for contribution of tools, templates, playbooks, etc., that others can model or use.

Nominations are judged on their own merit, but in addition, the group of winners is selected to form a collective combination of attributes, so that each set of champions represents an array of value practices from a variety of companies/firms (in terms of size, geography, practice area, etc.).

The "champions" will be announced in late spring.

There is no pre-set number, though the target range is 8–12. The judges aim to select a compelling array of champions.

It means you have been recognized by your peers as effectively managing resources to achieve strong value for corporate clients. While innovative practices can be particularly effective and noteworthy, solid, comprehensive management of staff, processes, knowledge, and relationships are also important.

The ACC Value Champion designation is intended to recognize successful value practices and is not an endorsement of any law department, law firm, and/or legal service provider. It is not a comprehensive or definitive statement on the subject, but serves as a resource for people to consider when implementing initiatives advocated as part of the ACC Value Challenge.

This is the only award recognition program focused squarely on delivering value to clients — by implementing management practices to control costs and achieve better legal outcomes. Additionally, the program provides an opportunity for corporate legal executives, working with their outside counsel and/or legal service providers, to receive public recognition for successful collaboration.

Our mission is to inspire and inform others about the many ways to drive value for clients, so ACC’s announcement of the champions is just the beginning. As an ACC Value Champion, you will receive public recognition through exposure to the business and legal press, a featured profile on the ACC website and in the ACC Docket magazine, a presentation of the initiative at an ACC educational event, and the opportunity to join the cohort of past and present champions for ongoing networking and benchmarking. You will be invited to an award ceremony where you will be presented with an engraved crystal award “trophy” that can be proudly displayed in your office.

Please feel free to contact Abby Adams, Director of Legal Management Services, at +1 202-349-1527 or accvaluechampions@acc.com.