Clients have highlighted 28 law firms which make the grade for client services, winning the backing of more high profile clients than their competitors, according to the BTI Power rankings. The law firms topping the poll were chosen for strong primary relationships with GCs and the largest number of recommendations from top clients. Jones Day is the firm which clients love most, the poll revealed, followed by Skadden Arps. Two UK firms have made the top 10. The rapidly expanding Dentons is third whilst DLA Piper features in seventh position. Latham & Watkins is fourth whilst McGuire Woods is fifth followed by Cooley.
Strength of relationships
The BTI Industry Power Rankings: The Law Firms with the Best Client Relationships in 18 Industries, ranked Jones Day for its strength of client relationships. The firm ranked first among BTI's 24 elite firms -those which have established a client relationship where the firm is a primary provider of legal services. It is also the most recommended law firm (the first firm referred to peers unprompted) — by securing more primary client relationships than any of other firm in the survey.
Seamlessly
'Our approach to client service is to collaborate seamlessly across jurisdictions and practices around the world and to demonstrate our shared set of professional values that reinforce the foundation of our cohesive partnership,' said Glen Nager, Jones Day's client affairs partner. 'All clients are clients of the firm, not individual lawyers, offices, or practices. We recognise clients have institutional needs, and in turn we provide comprehensive solutions, serving clients as one firm worldwide. We are true partners, with each other, and even more importantly, with our clients.' Jones Day was named a "core law firm"—part of the group which captured more than 80 per cent of the client's work, and most recommended law firm— the group of firms clients recommend (unprompted) most often to their peers, in 17 industries.
DLA Piper scores in 15 industries
DLA was named a core law firm for clients in 15 industries, ranking as a 'standout' in banking, financial services, high tech, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, professional services and wholesale trade. It also ranked as a 'leader' in retail trade and made BTI's "honour roll" in consumer goods, energy, healthcare, insurance, real estate, telecommunications and utilities. BTI Consulting Group also named DLA Piper one of the law firms most likely to be recommended by clients to their peers in 13 industries, including manufacturing, in which it received the highest "powerhouse" ranking, as well as banking, energy, financial services, healthcare, high tech, pharmaceuticals, professional services, real estate, retail trade, transportation, utilities and wholesale trade.
Superior
BTI also ranked DLA Piper seventh in a list of 24 firms with the largest number of superior client relationships, in which clients consider the firm both their leading primary provider and the first firm they would recommend to other companies. The report was based on 960 in-depth interviews with leading legal decision makers at organisations with US$1 billion or more in revenue. The interviews were conducted between March 2015 and February 2017.
The rankings
- Jones Day
- Skadden
- Dentons
- Latham & Watkins
- McGuireWoods
- Cooley LLP
- DLA Piper
- Sidley Austin
- Kirkland & Ellis
- Polsinelli
- Hogan Lovells
- WilmerHale
- Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe
- Reed Smith
- Ogletree Deakins
- Wachtell Lipton
- BakerHostetler
- Gibson Dunn
- Norton Rose Fulbright
- Bryan Cave
- Cleary Gottlieb
- Paul Weiss
- Crowell & Moring
- Alston & Bird
Email your news and story ideas to: [email protected]
