There are two comprehensive independent annual guides to the UK legal profession: The Legal 500, published by Legalese Limited; and Chambers Guide to the Legal Profession, published by Chambers & Partners Publishing. These are both thoroughly researched, and they publish league tables of recommendations of firms and individual solicitors for particular categories of work, on a region-by-region basis. The research is based on recommendations by clients and by other members of the legal profession. These publications are published in book form and are also accessible free-of-charge online (The Legal 500: www.legal500.com; Chambers Guide to the Legal Profession: www.chambersandpartners.com). These publications carry weight with decision-makers: 
 
"(i) The Legal 500: I have been recommended in each annual edition of The Legal 500 for publishing work since 1994, when I was a partner at Rubinstein Callingham. I am also included in their Legal Experts 2003 publication." In the 2003 edition of The Legal 500, published autumn 2003, it says:
 
“With 25 years' experience, sole practitioner Bernard Nyman at B M Nyman & Co specialises in IP and defamation advice for publishers, distributors, authors, agents and printers. Examples of recent work include updating contracts for Peer Information Group.”

The 2004 edition of The Legal 500 (published autumn 2004) says this:

“Clients rate sole practitioner Bernard Nyman of B M Nyman & Co highly for providing 'a first-class service' and for being a 'top-class libel lawyer'. Nyman acts for the Consumers' Association in relation to all of their regular magazines, as well as for book publishers.”

The 2005 edition of The Legal 500 (published autumn 2005) says this:

"Publishing guru and sole-practitioner Bernard Nyman of B M Nyman & Co is vastly experienced and is rated as 'excellent'. Clients include Young Media Holdings Ltd, and the author Wilbur Smith".

The 2006 edition of The Legal 500 (published autumn 2006) says this:

Experienced sole practitioner Bernie Nyman, of BM Nyman & Co, undertakes pre-publication libel reading for Which? magazine and its sister publications.  He also advises authors such as Wilbur Smith on copyright issues and collaboration agreements, and he is praised for being 'sharp, reasonable and exceptionally knowledgeable'.”

The 2007 edition of The Legal 500 (published autumn 2007) says this:

B M Nyman & Co’s sole partner is Bernie Nyman, a respected and well-liked figure in the practice area for the past 25 years. His practice is entirely dedicated to publishing, covering pre-publication defamation advice, copyright and trade mark protection, and contract drafting and negotiating for publishers and authors. Clients describe him as ‘unsurpassable and unique’.

(ii) Chambers Guide to the Legal Profession: I have been recommended as a "leader in my field" in each annual edition of Chambers Guide to the Legal Profession for publishing work since about 1995, when they first made recommendations for this category of legal work. In the 2003-2004 edition, published autumn 2003, it says:
 
“Peers describe sole practitioner Bernard Nyman as ‘dead honest and dead straight’, while clients consider him to be ‘amazing – completely unflappable’. Working extensively on publishing contracts and defamation pre-publication advice, Nyman is regarded as ‘one of the few who is really immersed in the world’”.

The 2005 edition of the Chambers Guide to the Legal Profession (published autumn 2004) says this:

"The "experienced " Bernard Nyman of BM Nyman & Co was recommended as "a smart lawyer with an excellent client base. " The Consumer's Association instructs him on pre-publication advise for their 'Which' magazines."

The 2006 edition of the Chambers Guide to the Legal Profession (published autumn 2005) says this:

"Bernard Nyman of BM Nyman & Co is rated as "a knowledgeable and sound lawyer, with a great commercial sense." He has acted on pre-publication matters for a variety of magazines (including for the Consumers Association) and has also acted on rights issues for Hesperus Press relating to a Graham Greene novella."

The 2007 edition of the Chambers Guide to the Legal Profession (published autumn 2006) says this:

"Bernard Nyman of BM Nyman & Co is rated as "one of those guys who wrote the book on publishing law -- you can't touch him on expertise and experience."  He is active on pre-publication matters for Which? magazine, as well as handling a range of issues for small publishers and authors.  He is also recommended for his excellent grasp of electronic rights issues."