Law firm shortlists — Legal Cheek Awards 2023

The Legal Cheek Awards 2023 is jointly sponsored by BARBRI and BPP University Law School. For more information beyond the shortlists please see the Awards homepage.

Best law firm for training 2023

Addleshaw Goddard, Allen & Overy, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, Burges Salmon, CMS, Clifford Chance, Dentons, Farrer & Co, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Herbert Smith Freehills, Linklaters, Macfarlanes, Mayer Brown, Mills & Reeve, Osborne Clarke, Pinsent Masons, RPC, Shoosmiths, Slaughter and May, TLT, Travers Smith, Willkie Farr & Gallagher

Best law firm for quality of work 2023

Akin Gump, Burges Salmon, CMS, Farrer & Co, Forsters, Hogan Lovells, Latham & Watkins, Lewis Silkin, Mills & Reeve, Mishcon de Reya, Osborne Clarke, Ropes & Gray, Shakespeare Martineau, Shearman & Sterling, White & Case, Willkie Farr & Gallagher

Best law firm for peer support 2023

Addleshaw Goddard, Ashurst, Bristows, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, Clyde & Co, Dechert, Express Solicitors, Fletchers, Forsters, Gibson Dunn, Goodwin Proctor, Hill Dickinson, Norton Rose Fulbright, Pinsent Masons, RPC, TLT, Taylor Wessing, Travers Smith, Watson Farley & Williams, Weightmans

Best law firm for partner approachability 2023

Accutrainee, Ashfords, Bird & Bird, Bristows, Debevoise & Plimpton, Dentons, Eversheds Sutherland, Fieldfisher, Fletchers, Gateley, Hill Dickinson, Morrison Foerster, Orrick, RPC, Russell-Cooke, Shakespeare Martineau, Squire Patton Boggs, TLT, Taylor Vinters

Best law firm for work/life balance 2023

Ashfords, Bristows, Charles Russell Speechlys, Clyde & Co, Farrer & Co, Fieldfisher, Fletchers, Forsters, HFW, Hill Dickinson, Howard Kennedy, Kennedys, Russell-Cooke, Shakespeare Martineau, Shoosmiths, Taylor Vinters, Trowers & Hamlins, Wedlake Bell, Weightmans, Womble Bond Dickinson

Best law firm for legal tech 2023

Addleshaw Goddard, Allen & Overy, Ashurst, CMS, Clifford Chance, Mishcon de Reya, Osborne Clarke, Pinsent Masons, Simmons & Simmons, Travers Smith, Weightmans, Womble Bond Dickinson

Best law firm for perks 2023

Allen & Overy, Clifford Chance, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Milbank, Ropes & Gray, Sidley Austin, Travers Smith, Weil Gotshal & Manges, White & Case

Best law firm office 2023

Allen & Overy, Ashurst, Bird & Bird, Burges Salmon, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, Clifford Chance, DLA Piper, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Gowling WLG, Howard Kennedy, Kingsley Napley, Milbank, Mishcon de Reya, Morrison Foerster, Norton Rose Fulbright, Reed Smith, Sidley Austin, Vinson & Elkins, Walker Morris

Best law firm for WFH 2023

Addleshaw Goddard, Akin Gump, Allen & Overy, Bristows, Burges Salmon, CMS, DWF Group Plc, Fletchers, Hill Dickinson, Osborne Clarke, Shoosmiths, TLT, Taylor Vinters, Taylor Wessing, Travers Smith, Walker Morris, Weightmans, Weil Gotshal & Manges, White & Case, Willkie Farr & Gallagher, Withers

Best law firm for eco-friendliness 2023

Burges Salmon, CMS, Charles Russell Speechlys, Clifford Chance, DLA Piper, Hogan Lovells, Lewis Silkin, Mishcon de Reya, Osborne Clarke, Penningtons Manches Cooper, Pinsent Masons, Shakespeare Martineau, Simmons & Simmons, TLT, Travers Smith, Wiggin, Womble Bond Dickinson

Best law firm for international secondments 2023

Allen & Overy, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, Clifford Chance, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Herbert Smith Freehills, HFW, Linklaters, Morrison Foerster, Norton Rose Fulbright, Vinson & Elkins, Watson Farley & Williams, Weil Gotshal & Manges, White & Case, Withers

Best law firm for client secondments 2023

Accutrainee, Bird & Bird, Bristows, CMS, Dentons, DWF Group Plc, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Gowling WLG, Hill Dickinson, Kennedys, Lewis Silkin, Mayer Brown, Squire Patton Boggs, Walker Morris, Wiggin, Womble Bond Dickinson

Most admired law firm 2023

Allen & Overy, Bird & Bird, Clifford Chance, DLA Piper, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Herbert Smith Freehills, Kirkland & Ellis, Latham & Watkins, Mishcon de Reya, Osborne Clarke, Slaughter and May, Travers Smith

The Legal Cheek firm of the year 2023

Addleshaw Goddard, Burges Salmon, Clifford Chance, CMS, Farrer & Co, Osborne Clarke, Pinsent Masons, TLT, Travers Smith, Weightmans, Willkie Farr & Gallagher, Womble Bond Dickinson

Best use of social media 2023

• ULaw third-year law student and future Clyde & Co trainee solicitor Farzana Abdullah for the Muslim Lawyers’ Hub (Instagram)
• Sheffield University law graduate and CPS future pupil barrister Taz Aldeek (YouTube)
• ULaw LPC student and future trainee solicitor Jordon Goodman aka ‘The Legal Northerner’ (TikTok)
• Paul Gascoyne, senior recruitment manager at Shearman & Sterling (LinkedIn)
• Anonymous Hong Kong-based junior lawyer meme account (Instagram)
• Bristol University law graduate and Womble Bond Dickinson trainee solicitor Simranjeet Kaur Mann (YouTube)
• Best friends, Cambridge University law graduates and Akin Gump trainee solicitors Rebecca McNeil and Simrhan Khetani aka ‘Becs and the City’ (TikTok)
• LSE political science graduate and future White & Case trainee solicitor Ali Obeid (TikTok)
• Lancaster University law graduate and in-house trainee solicitor Maab Saifeldin aka ‘Life with Maab’ (Instagram)
• Durham University third-year law student and future Clifford Chance trainee solicitor Lucy Sallows aka ‘Legally Lucy’ (TikTok)

Find out more about this year’s nominees

The winner of this category will be decided by an independent judging panel, made up of Amelia Platton (last year’s winner and founder of The Neurodiverse Lawyer Project), Marnie Swindells (The Apprentice star and court advocate) and Ibrahim Mohammed aka Ibz Mo (YouTube vlogger and lawfluencer).

Left to right: Amelia Platton, Marnie Swindells and Ibrahim Mohammed aka Ibz Mo

Best Legal Cheek Journal contribution 2023

‘Law firms as social enterprises – the future, or just a CSR pipedream?’ by Bristol University law graduate and Addleshaw Goddard trainee solicitor Bethany Barrett
‘The impact of AI on copyright law’ by Leeds University law graduate and aspiring barrister Jonathan Binns
‘X marks the spot: Treasure law reforms in England and Wales’ by Sydney University, Australia graduate and future pupil barrister Hillary Curtis
‘Criminal justice: A system on its knees’ by Liverpool University law student Jakob Fletcher-Stega
‘The business of sustainability’ by Turkey qualified lawyer and Brunel University LLM student Ece Gorgun Balci
‘London’s Commercial Court: Under threat, or concern about nothing?’ by Reading University law student Ben Holder
‘The rights and wrongs of life in the metaverse’ by Bristol University modern languages graduate and future Clifford Chance trainee solicitor William Holmes
‘Will legal tech doom the billable hours model for law firms?’ by Oxford University history student Lewis Ogg
‘Secrets and lies: The UK’s troubled regime of freedom of information’ by LSE law student Nhan Pham-Thanh
‘Seeking asylum: a one-way ticket to Rwanda’ by ULaw law student Teshé Rolle

Find out more about this year’s nominees

The winner of this category will be decided by an independent judging panel, made up of Lord Sumption (ex-Supreme Court justice), Lubna Shuja (Law Society President), Victoria Prentis KC MP (Attorney General for England and Wales) and Lord Pannick KC (Blackstone Chambers barrister).

Left to right: Lord Sumption, Lubna Shuja, Victoria Prentis KC MP and Lord Pannick KC

Legal Cheek Campus Ambassador of the Year 2023

Sponsored by

• Zainab Adetunbi, University of Dundee
• Leah Charlton, University of Newcastle
• Hatice Çobanoğlu, University of Law Manchester
• Adelina Iuliana Foiciuc, Anglia Ruskin University
• Tomris Guluzade, University of Edinburgh
• Karina Homanko, University of Portsmouth
• Eksha Kala, City University of Hong Kong
• Rosella Lanza, Loughborough University
• Emily Patel, University of Warwick
• Nicole Watson, University of Southampton

For more information beyond the shortlists please see the Awards homepage.