City law firms fail to make the grade in top employer rankings

The law firm has been joined by CMS Cameron McKenna, Charles Russell and Berwin Leighton Paisner in the survey’s scrap heap after all three bombed out of the list after being ranked in the top 100 in 2009.

Olswang’s HR director Ffion Griffith said: “Of course we’re disappointed not to be in the top 100 list; it’s been a tough year. We have the detailed feedback from the research company and will be setting up a group to identify new ways to address any issues.”

Meanwhile, Pannone has been hailed the top legal employer in the survey, marking the seventh consecutive year the firm has been rated among the UK’s top 20 employers.

Staff at the Manchester-based firm, which took the number three spot in the overall legal rankings, agreed that their stress levels were low (82%) and most are happy with the balance between their work and home lives (73%).


Pannone trainee solicitor Rebecca French said: “The people here are so nice and I think that really makes a difference to your everyday work.”

A total of seven law firms managed to claim a spot in this year’s list including Lewis Silkin, which came in at 33 in the overall list a drop from last year when it entered the survey for the first time at 19.

Mishcon de Reya came in at 48, up from 69 last year, meanwhile Mills & Reeve managed to secure a position at 72 compared 83 in 2009.

Elsewhere, Brabners Chaffe Street plummeted from 20 in 2009 to 83 this year and Freeth Cartwright also dropped down the list to 94 from 72 in last year’s survey.

A new entry onto the list is Tunbridge Wells-based Cripps Harries Hall, which came in at 97.