What makes a law firm truly great to work for? Is it strong leadership, work-life balance, career growth, or a thriving office culture? To find out, Lawyer Monthly conducted an in-depth survey, gathering first hand insights from legal professionals across the industry.
After analyzing responses from lawyers, associates, and support staff, we’ve identified the standout firms that are setting new benchmarks for workplace excellence in 2025.
Management played a crucial role in shaping these rankings, with employees highlighting firms that prioritize mentorship, professional development, and open communication. From prestigious global firms to dynamic boutique practices, this year’s results showcase workplaces where legal talent is valued, supported, and given room to thrive.
So, which firms made the cut? Here are the results.
| Firm Name | Satisfaction Level | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom | Extremely Satisfied | 95 |
| White & Case | Extremely Satisfied | 95 |
| Paul, Weiss | Extremely Satisfied | 94 |
| Mills & Reeve | Extremely Satisfied | 94 |
| Hogan Lovells | Extremely Satisfied | 93 |
| Bird & Bird | Extremely Satisfied | 91 |
| Horwich Farrelly | Extremely Satisfied | 91 |
| Goodwin Procter | Extremely Satisfied | 90 |
| Burges Salmon | Very Satisfied | 87 |
| Clarke Willmott | Very Satisfied | 86 |
| Harbottle & Lewis | Very Satisfied | 85 |
| Debevoise & Plimpton | Very Satisfied | 84 |
| Russell-Cooke | Very Satisfied | 84 |
| TLT | Very Satisfied | 82 |
| Browne Jacobson | Very Satisfied | 81 |
| Michelmores | Very Satisfied | 81 |
| Kirkland & Ellis | Very Satisfied | 80 |
| Macfarlanes | Very Satisfied | 80 |
| Baker McKenzie | Satisfied | 79 |
| DAC Beachcroft | Satisfied | 79 |
| Simmons & Simmons | Satisfied | 79 |
| HFW | Satisfied | 78 |
| Brabners | Satisfied | 77 |
| Trowers & Hamlins | Satisfied | 77 |
| Osborne Clarke | Satisfied | 77 |
| Bevan Brittan | Satisfied | 77 |
| Charles Russell Speechlys | Satisfied | 77 |
| Forsters | Satisfied | 77 |
| Howard Kennedy | Satisfied | 77 |
| Foot Anstey | Satisfied | 77 |
| Birketts | Satisfied | 76 |
| Taylor Wessing | Satisfied | 76 |
| Herbert Smith Freehills | Satisfied | 76 |
| Watson Farley & Williams | Satisfied | 76 |
| Shoosmiths | Satisfied | 76 |
| Mishcon de Reya | Satisfied | 76 |
| Freshfields | Satisfied | 75 |
| Hill Dickinson | Satisfied | 75 |
| Lewis Silkin | Satisfied | 74 |
| Clyde & Co | Satisfied | 74 |
| Weil | Satisfied | 74 |
| Freeths | Satisfied | 73 |
| Womble Bond Dickinson | Satisfied | 72 |
| Ropes & Gray | Satisfied | 72 |
| RPC | Satisfied | 72 |
| Capsticks | Satisfied | 72 |
| Paul Hastings | Satisfied | 72 |
| Kennedys | Satisfied | 72 |
| Norton Rose Fulbright | Satisfied | 72 |
| Latham & Watkins | Somewhat Satisfied | 68 |
| Ashurst | Somewhat Satisfied | 66 |
| Stephenson Harwood | Somewhat Satisfied | 66 |
| Fieldfisher | Somewhat Satisfied | 66 |
| Travers Smith | Somewhat Satisfied | 66 |
| Irwin Mitchell | Somewhat Satisfied | 66 |
| Squire Patton Boggs | Somewhat Satisfied | 66 |
| Mayer Brown | Somewhat Satisfied | 65 |
| Pinsent Masons | Somewhat Satisfied | 65 |
| Gowling WLG | Somewhat Satisfied | 65 |
| Reed Smith | Somewhat Satisfied | 65 |
| Clifford Chance | Somewhat Satisfied | 65 |
| CMS | Somewhat Satisfied | 65 |
| Addleshaw Goddard | Somewhat Satisfied | 64 |
| BCLP | Somewhat Satisfied | 64 |
| Gateley | Somewhat Satisfied | 64 |
| Weightmans | Somewhat Satisfied | 63 |
| A&O Shearman | Somewhat Satisfied | 62 |
| DLA Piper | Somewhat Satisfied | 62 |
| Linklaters | Somewhat Satisfied | 62 |
| Slaughter and May | Somewhat Dissatisfied | 59 |
| Broadfield | Somewhat Dissatisfied | 59 |
| Eversheds Sutherland | Somewhat Dissatisfied | 58 |
| Denton | Somewhat Dissatisfied | 58 |
| DWF | Somewhat Dissatisfied | 58 |
| Knights | Somewhat Dissatisfied | 57 |
| Keoghs | Somewhat Dissatisfied | 56 |
| Shakespeare Martineau | Somewhat Dissatisfied | 55 |
The results are derived from a comprehensive survey where respondents evaluated their satisfaction across eight key metrics: compensation, career development opportunities, work-life balance, firm culture, office facilities, management quality, job security, and internal communication.
Each participant, regardless of their role, was invited to share their feedback, which was then converted into a percentage. These individual scores were aggregated to form an overall satisfaction rating for each firm in every category.
While submissions were collected from 118 additional firms, only those meeting specific criteria were included in the final analysis. We apologize to those whose firms didn’t qualify, but we appreciate every response that contributed to this insightful ranking.
