Law firms fail to reach top of best employers league

Law?firms?feature heavily in a survey of the best professional services firms to work for, but only two reached the top 20.

The report, by the Managing Partners' Forum (MPF), revealed Linklaters as the only magic circle firm in the top 100, while accountancy giants Deloitte, Ernst &?Young, KPMG?and PricewaterhouseCoopers all managed to gain places in the top 25 .

The list revealed that lawyers at smaller firms were happier than their counterparts in the magic circle.

Pannone came in as the fourth-best professional services firm to work for in the country.

Law?firms?featured heavily further down the list, with 32 making the top 100. Law firms beat the accountants, which had 13 firms, and management consultants, which had eight firms. London patent attorney firm Keltie was a surprise entry at number five, while Brabners Chaffe Street was the next highest placed law firm at 18.

The MPF derived the table from accreditation company Best Companies. Around 90 per cent of the ranking is decided from employee feedback. The criteria include stress levels, opportunities to learn and pay.

MPF deputy chair Ed Smith said: "MPF100 firms aren't nicey-nicey, but give considerable responsibility and trust to their people. We take a comprehensive look at a range of activities being undertaken by leading firms to become even better employers."

The MPF is an association of managing partners of professional firms. DLA Piper managing partner Nigel Knowles is chairman of the MPF executive committee, which includes Mike Francies, managing partner at Weil Gotshal & Manges, and Ted Burke, chief executive at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer.

Berwin Leighton Paisner managing partner Neville Eisenberg was the only lawyer committee member to have his firm ranked in the top 100, coming in at number 41.