Magic circle firm Slaughter and May – renowned for its blueblood partnership and blue chip client list – was at the top of the table with technology and intellectual property specialists Bird & Bird and international firm Berwin Leighton Paisner, which five years ago shook up traditional commercial legal services provision by launching the freelance lawyer business, Lawyers on Demand.

Big names slip

The three firms – according to the survey conducted by London-based newspaper Legal Week – were the highest rated by clients in the UK top-20. Legal Week’s ninth annual survey was based on a range of criteria, including cost/billing practices, service delivery/responsiveness, use of technology/knowledge management, partner relationships, quality of legal advice and quality of commercial advice.
Slaughters’ leap to the front of the list was particularly impressive, said the researchers, as only last year it trailed behind seven others in the top 20. The survey highlighted several big names that had slipped a few notches, including transatlantic practice Hogan Lovells, and magic circle players Clifford Chance, Allen & Overy and Linklaters.

US plaudits

The researchers maintained that Anglo-German magic circle firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer ‘significantly improved’ its ranking, while of the US firms in London, plaudits went to Squire Sanders and Latham & Watkins.
The report also pointed to a group of English firms that could be described diplomatically as needing improvement, which included Trowers & Hamlins, Ince & Co Watson Farley & Williams, Olswang and Macfarlanes. But in general terms, the researchers maintained that satisfaction with the legal profession among UK clients had increased over last year – rising from a score of 6.5 to 7.2.