Professional development

INTELLECT-S has held its annual Gold Ten contest since 2006 (and since 2008, under its present name). The primary purpose of the contest is to encourage, motivate and incentify the personal and professional development of the mid-level and junior fee earners.

Rules and categories. The contest, organized by the board of partners and held each January, is based on an anonymous poll inside the firm, in which the firm members appraise each others' personal and professional qualities. The results are announced on Firm Day, February 1.

Recent hires working in the firm less than a year, mothers on maternity leave and others not qualified to judge, are not polled.

The contest involves the entire personnel of the firm from managing partner to secretaries. The key categories, however, are reserved for the associates. Partners are not nominated in any category, although they keep top rates from year to year. Support staff are polled in categories of their own.

Respondents appraise their co-workers, awarding points for personal and professional qualities. The results of the poll are then summarized by senior partners and an invited independent auditor.

The poll determines:

INTELLECT-S' Golden Ten associates;
three top lawyers in the Reputation category (as the most responsible, trustful and
authoritative);
three top lawyers in the Competence category (with the best advisory professional
knowledge and skills);
three top lawyers as the Professionals of the Year (for their best scores in the Reputation and
Competence categories);
three top earners among senior associates;
three top earners amount associates and junior associates;
three top promoters of the firm; and
three top support staff members.

The scores are not made public outside the top ten, but each firm member may ask the managing partner to give him or her his or her rating.

Awards

All winners receive bonuses.
The top five of the Golden Ten have a chance to attend INTELLECT-S's Law Firm Management training course in California.
The firm also awards its top five members vacations at its expense, including trips to California, Hawaii, Miami, New York and Boston, and international sail regattas in Turkey.

Best Eemployee