PRESS RELEASE | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | 21-07-2026
ELE is delighted to announce a new, exclusive partnership with Legal Directories Consultants (LDC), the specialist directories consultancy founded by Nick Voyatzis, a former Legal 500 editor. The partnership strengthens ELE’s Legal 500 expertise and deepens its reach across the EMEA market.
Nick Voyatzis founded LDC after nearly 6 years at Legal 500, where he researched and edited six editions of the UK, EMEA (France, Spain, Italy, Greece, Romania, Netherlands) and APAC guides, along with five editions of the US coverage as well as managing the Middle East and Africa Guide. Through hundreds of meetings with law firms, he saw how often even the largest firms misunderstood what researchers were looking for. He set up LDC to help firms back their claims with the evidence that actually earns rankings.
LDC is also co-directed by Henry Compton, who began his career at The Legal 500 as a researcher across the UK, EMEA, APAC and US guides, meeting hundreds of firms and gaining first-hand insight into how rankings are decided. He then moved to a global legal marketing company, where his role reversed: advising firms on their submissions rather than assessing them. During this time he broadened his expertise across other directories, including IFLR1000, IP STARS and GDR. He then joined Nick at LDC in 2024 and since then the duo have catered to a mixture of firms, from offices of 8 of the 25 largest law firms in the world, through to specialist boutiques across the globe.
In joining the ELE team, Nick and Henry bring editorial experience of how Legal 500 rankings are researched and decided, and a track record of a c.40% promotion rate across all submissions handled.
“Nick and Henry know Legal 500 from the inside, they have real relationships across EMEA, and their results speak for themselves,” said Helen Foord, CEO of ELE.
“Partnering with LDC brings even greater experience and strength in submissions to our clients, and gives LDC’s clients access to the rest of what ELE does, including more fluid project management and capacity for larger numbers of submissions, as well as experience with websites, reports and other awards.
“We have worked together on a number of projects, including on EMEA submissions for a Magic Circle firm, and I’ve always been impressed with Nick and Henry’s knowledge and approachable manner. They fit in well with the ELE team and share our values, so we decided it made sense to collaborate more formally. I’m delighted that they’re joining the team and am looking forward to some exciting projects together over the coming months.”
“ELE and LDC have always looked at directories the same way, with real care over the detail and a straight-talking approach to what actually earns a ranking,” said Nick Voyatzis, founder of Legal Directories Consultants. “Working alongside Helen and the team on shared projects made this an easy decision. It gives our clients the same directories expertise, now backed by a larger team and the capacity to take on more.”
The partnership reflects ELE’s continued growth and its focus on delivering clear, thoughtful and responsible communications for the legal sector.
