A&O plummets 123 places in US associate survey

Allen & Overy (A&O) has nose-dived in the esteem of its US associates, according to American Lawyer magazine’s latest associate satisfaction survey.

The firm fell 123 places from fifteenth spot to 138th out of 148 firms. The result is a major drop from last year, when A&O was the highest-ranking UK firm in the survey.

Clifford Chance leapt 23 places to 105, a vast improvement on the firm’s 2001 performance when it was ranked last.

Linklaters, meanwhile, has stolen A&O’s title of highest ranked non-US firm, entering the tables for the first time in fifteenth place. Associates also named the firm as the best to work for in New York.

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, which last year was ranked the worst firm to work for in the US, this year rose 94 places to 65.

The survey assesses the attitudes of third and fourth-year associates on a range of criteria, including billable hours targets, attitude to pro bono work and how interesting the work is.