One of the most striking aspects of law firms’ innovations in the past year has been their sheer variety. While many can be grouped neatly into conventional subject areas, such as financial services and dispute resolution, others fall outside these categories and can almost be thought of as in a class of their own.

From pursuing justice for the victims of international war crimes to pioneering medical research, reshaping competition law and ensuring delivery of the 2012 Olympic Games in London, lawyers have pushed the boundaries in ways little recognised even by their clients, much less the general public.