It may not be politically correct to talk in terms of beneficiaries when writing about the credit crisis, but there is one group of professionals for whom the crisis and downturn is more of an opportunity than a disaster. In-house legal functions, for many years seen as the struggling partner’s career haven, are coming of age in business.

This year’s FT Innovative Lawyers rankings show a variety of European companies from different industries. At first glance, they have little in common. But a closer look reveals that they have one strong denominator – they all benefit from forward-thinking, embedded legal departments.