The Firms Most List

2019 edition

Everything you need to know about the leading law firms operating in the UK, including pay, hours targets, international reach, diversity figures and more — plus continue to the individual firm profiles featuring the The Legal Cheek View and Trainee and Junior Lawyer Survey Scorecards.

Select a criteria Select a scorecard category Search for a firm

Most UK training contracts

Most offices

Most countries located in

Most money: 1st year trainee

Davis Polk & Wardwell

£55,000
Debevoise & Plimpton

£50,000
Jones Day

£50,000
Kirkland & Ellis

£50,000
Milbank

£50,000
Sullivan & Cromwell

£50,000
Akin Gump

£48,000
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton

£48,000
Linklaters

£47,000
Sidley Austin

£47,000
Latham & Watkins

£46,000
Ropes & Gray

£46,000
Weil Gotshal & Manges

£46,000
White & Case

£46,000
Allen & Overy

£45,000
Baker McKenzie

£45,000
Dechert

£45,000
DLA Piper

£45,000
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

£45,000
Gibson Dunn

£45,000
Hogan Lovells

£45,000
Norton Rose Fulbright

£45,000
Shearman & Sterling

£45,000
Skadden

£45,000
Slaughter and May

£45,000
Travers Smith

£45,000
Clifford Chance

£44,800
Ashurst

£44,000
Herbert Smith Freehills

£44,000
Macfarlanes

£44,000
Mayer Brown

£44,000
Simmons & Simmons

£44,000
CMS

£43,000
Covington & Burling

£43,000
Reed Smith

£43,000
Watson Farley & Williams

£43,000
Osborne Clarke

£42,500
Dentons

£42,000
Mishcon de Reya

£42,000
K&L Gates

£41,000
Pinsent Masons

£41,000
Stephenson Harwood

£41,000
Gowling WLG

£40,500
Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner

£40,000
Charles Russell Speechlys

£40,000
Eversheds Sutherland

£40,000
Forsters

£40,000
Taylor Wessing

£40,000
Addleshaw Goddard

£39,500
PwC

£39,000
Wiggin

£39,000
Fieldfisher

£38,500
Bird & Bird

£38,000
Bristows

£38,000
Clyde & Co

£38,000
Farrer & Co

£38,000
HFW

£38,000
RPC

£38,000
Ince & Co

£37,750
Wedlake Bell

£37,500
Fladgate

£37,000
Squire Patton Boggs

£37,000
Trowers & Hamlins

£37,000
Withers

£37,000
Howard Kennedy

£36,500
Michelmores

£36,500
Irwin Mitchell

£36,000
Kennedys

£36,000
Penningtons Manches

£36,000
TLT

£36,000
Burges Salmon

£35,000
DAC Beachcroft

£35,000
Womble Bond Dickinson

£34,000
Hill Dickinson

£32,000
Weightmans

£32,000
Ashfords

£31,000
BLM

£31,000
Royds Withy King

£31,000
Blake Morgan

£30,000
Foot Anstey

£28,000
Shoosmiths

£27,000
Walker Morris

£27,000
Mills & Reeve

£26,500
Browne Jacobson

£25,500
Hewitsons

£23,500
DWF

£22,000
Axiom
Bevan Brittan

Undisclosed

Most money: 2nd year trainee

Davis Polk & Wardwell

£60,000
Jones Day

£57,000
Debevoise & Plimpton

£55,000
Kirkland & Ellis

£55,000
Milbank

£55,000
Sullivan & Cromwell

£55,000
Linklaters

£52,500
Akin Gump

£52,000
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton

£52,000
Sidley Austin

£51,500
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

£51,000
Slaughter and May

£51,000
Clifford Chance

£50,500
Travers Smith

£50,500
Allen & Overy

£50,000
Dechert

£50,000
DLA Piper

£50,000
Gibson Dunn

£50,000
Hogan Lovells

£50,000
Ropes & Gray

£50,000
Shearman & Sterling

£50,000
Skadden

£50,000
Weil Gotshal & Manges

£50,000
White & Case

£50,000
Baker McKenzie

£49,000
Macfarlanes

£49,000
Mayer Brown

£49,000
Norton Rose Fulbright

£49,000
Ashurst

£48,000
CMS

£48,000
Herbert Smith Freehills

£48,000
Latham & Watkins

£48,000
Simmons & Simmons

£48,000
Covington & Burling

£47,000
Reed Smith

£47,000
Dentons

£46,000
K&L Gates

£46,000
Watson Farley & Williams

£46,000
Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner

£45,000
Mishcon de Reya

£45,000
Stephenson Harwood

£45,000
Osborne Clarke

£44,500
Gowling WLG

£44,000
Pinsent Masons

£44,000
PwC

£44,000
Taylor Wessing

£44,000
Eversheds Sutherland

£43,500
Addleshaw Goddard

£42,500
Charles Russell Speechlys

£42,000
Forsters

£42,000
Squire Patton Boggs

£42,000
Wiggin

£42,000
Ince & Co

£41,800
Fieldfisher

£41,500
Bristows

£41,000
Farrer & Co

£41,000
RPC

£41,000
Bird & Bird

£40,000
Clyde & Co

£40,000
HFW

£40,000
Trowers & Hamlins

£40,000
Withers

£40,000
Wedlake Bell

£39,500
Fladgate

£39,000
Michelmores

£39,000
Howard Kennedy

£38,500
Irwin Mitchell

£38,000
Kennedys

£38,000
Penningtons Manches

£38,000
TLT

£38,000
DAC Beachcroft

£37,000
Burges Salmon

£36,000
Womble Bond Dickinson

£36,000
Hill Dickinson

£34,000
Weightmans

£34,000
Blake Morgan

£33,000
Ashfords

£32,000
BLM

£32,000
Royds Withy King

£32,000
Foot Anstey

£30,000
Walker Morris

£29,000
Mills & Reeve

£28,000
Shoosmiths

£28,000
Browne Jacobson

£26,500
Hewitsons

£23,500
Axiom
Bevan Brittan

Undisclosed
DWF

Undisclosed

Most money: Newly qualified

Akin Gump

£143,000
Debevoise & Plimpton

£143,000
Kirkland & Ellis

£143,000
Latham & Watkins

£143,000
Milbank

£132,000
Sidley Austin

£130,000
Weil Gotshal & Manges

£130,000
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton

£120,000
Davis Polk & Wardwell

£120,000
Ropes & Gray

£120,000
Skadden

£118,000
Gibson Dunn

£112,500
Dechert

£110,000
Jones Day

£105,000
Shearman & Sterling

£105,000
White & Case

£105,000
Sullivan & Cromwell

£101,500
Covington & Burling

£100,000
Clifford Chance

£91,000
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

£85,000
Herbert Smith Freehills

£85,000
Allen & Overy

£83,000
Linklaters

£83,000
Slaughter and May

£83,000
Ashurst

£82,000
Macfarlanes

£80,000
Travers Smith

£78,500
Hogan Lovells

£78,000
Mayer Brown

£78,000
Baker McKenzie

£77,000
DLA Piper

£77,000
Norton Rose Fulbright

£77,000
Dentons

£75,000
Reed Smith

£75,000
Simmons & Simmons

£75,000
Stephenson Harwood

£73,000
Eversheds Sutherland

£72,000
K&L Gates

£71,000
Taylor Wessing

£71,000
Addleshaw Goddard

£70,000
Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner

£70,000
CMS

£70,000
Mishcon de Reya

£70,000
Osborne Clarke

£70,000
Pinsent Masons

£70,000
Watson Farley & Williams

£70,000
Squire Patton Boggs

£68,000
Fieldfisher

£66,000
Gowling WLG

£66,000
HFW

£66,000
Trowers & Hamlins

£66,000
Charles Russell Speechlys

£65,000
Clyde & Co

£65,000
RPC

£64,800
Farrer & Co

£64,000
Ince & Co

£63,250
Bristows

£63,000
Fladgate

£63,000
Michelmores

£63,000
PwC

£63,000
Withers

£63,000
Bird & Bird

£62,000
Forsters

£62,000
TLT

£61,000
DAC Beachcroft

£60,000
Irwin Mitchell

£60,000
Penningtons Manches

£60,000
Wiggin

£60,000
Howard Kennedy

£58,500
Hill Dickinson

£58,000
Kennedys

£57,500
Ashfords

£56,000
Weightmans

£55,000
Burges Salmon

£50,000
Blake Morgan

£47,000
Foot Anstey

£45,000
BLM

£44,000
Mills & Reeve

£42,000
Walker Morris

£42,000
Shoosmiths

£41,000
Royds Withy King

£40,000
Hewitsons

£38,000
Browne Jacobson

'Market Rate'
Axiom

Competitive
Womble Bond Dickinson

Competitive (benchmarked Annually)
Bevan Brittan

Undisclosed
DWF

Undisclosed
Wedlake Bell

Undisclosed

Most money: Partners

Most money: GDL grant

Sidley Austin

£11,000
Dechert

£10,000
Jones Day

£10,000
Kirkland & Ellis

£10,000
Macfarlanes

£10,000
Debevoise & Plimpton

£9,000
Sullivan & Cromwell

£9,000
Travers Smith

£8,500
Akin Gump

£8,000
Allen & Overy

£8,000
Ashurst

£8,000
Bristows

£8,000
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton

£8,000
Clifford Chance

£8,000
Covington & Burling

£8,000
Davis Polk & Wardwell

£8,000
DLA Piper

£8,000
Gibson Dunn

£8,000
Herbert Smith Freehills

£8,000
Hogan Lovells

£8,000
Latham & Watkins

£8,000
Linklaters

£8,000
Milbank

£8,000
Norton Rose Fulbright

£8,000
Ropes & Gray

£8,000
Shearman & Sterling

£8,000
Skadden

£8,000
Slaughter and May

£8,000
Weil Gotshal & Manges

£8,000
CMS

£7,500
White & Case

£7,500
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

£7,250
Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner

£7,200
Addleshaw Goddard

£7,000
Burges Salmon

£7,000
Clyde & Co

£7,000
Eversheds Sutherland

£7,000
Farrer & Co

£7,000
Gowling WLG

£7,000
HFW

£7,000
Mayer Brown

£7,000
Mishcon de Reya

£7,000
RPC

£7,000
Simmons & Simmons

£7,000
Taylor Wessing

£7,000
Wiggin

£7,000
Ince & Co

£6,500
Osborne Clarke

£6,500
Trowers & Hamlins

£6,500
Watson Farley & Williams

£6,500
Baker McKenzie

£6,000
Charles Russell Speechlys

£6,000
Dentons

£6,000
Fladgate

£6,000
Pinsent Masons

£6,000
Reed Smith

£6,000
Shoosmiths

£6,000
Squire Patton Boggs

£6,000
Stephenson Harwood

£6,000
TLT

£6,000
Womble Bond Dickinson

£6,000
Bird & Bird

£5,500
Fieldfisher

£5,500
Forsters

£5,500
Bevan Brittan

£5,000
Browne Jacobson

£5,000
Foot Anstey

£5,000
K&L Gates

£5,000
Walker Morris

£5,000
Withers

£5,000
Irwin Mitchell

£4,500
Mills & Reeve

£4,500
Axiom
Royds Withy King

N/A
Wedlake Bell

N/A
Ashfords

No Grant
Blake Morgan

No Grant
BLM

No Grant
DAC Beachcroft

No Grant
DWF

No Grant
Hewitsons

No Grant
Hill Dickinson

No Grant
Howard Kennedy

No Grant
Kennedys

No Grant
Michelmores

No Grant
Penningtons Manches

No Grant
Weightmans

No Grant
PwC

Undisclosed

Most money: LPC grant

Sidley Austin

£11,000
White & Case

£10,500
Allen & Overy

£10,000
Clifford Chance

£10,000
Dechert

£10,000
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

£10,000
Hogan Lovells

£10,000
Jones Day

£10,000
Kirkland & Ellis

£10,000
Linklaters

£10,000
Macfarlanes

£10,000
Mayer Brown

£10,000
Norton Rose Fulbright

£10,000
Slaughter and May

£10,000
Weil Gotshal & Manges

£10,000
Debevoise & Plimpton

£9,000
Sullivan & Cromwell

£9,000
Travers Smith

£8,500
Akin Gump

£8,000
Ashurst

£8,000
Baker McKenzie

£8,000
Bristows

£8,000
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton

£8,000
Covington & Burling

£8,000
Davis Polk & Wardwell

£8,000
DLA Piper

£8,000
Gibson Dunn

£8,000
Latham & Watkins

£8,000
Milbank

£8,000
Ropes & Gray

£8,000
Shearman & Sterling

£8,000
Skadden

£8,000
CMS

£7,500
Simmons & Simmons

£7,500
Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner

£7,200
Addleshaw Goddard

£7,000
Burges Salmon

£7,000
Clyde & Co

£7,000
Eversheds Sutherland

£7,000
Farrer & Co

£7,000
Gowling WLG

£7,000
HFW

£7,000
Hill Dickinson

£7,000
Ince & Co

£7,000
K&L Gates

£7,000
Mishcon de Reya

£7,000
Pinsent Masons

£7,000
Reed Smith

£7,000
RPC

£7,000
Shoosmiths

£7,000
Squire Patton Boggs

£7,000
Taylor Wessing

£7,000
Wiggin

£7,000
Osborne Clarke

£6,500
Trowers & Hamlins

£6,500
Watson Farley & Williams

£6,500
Charles Russell Speechlys

£6,000
Dentons

£6,000
Fieldfisher

£6,000
Fladgate

£6,000
Stephenson Harwood

£6,000
TLT

£6,000
Womble Bond Dickinson

£6,000
Bird & Bird

£5,500
Forsters

£5,500
Bevan Brittan

£5,000
Browne Jacobson

£5,000
Foot Anstey

£5,000
Michelmores

£5,000
Penningtons Manches

£5,000
Walker Morris

£5,000
Wedlake Bell

£5,000
Withers

£5,000
Irwin Mitchell

£4,500
Mills & Reeve

£4,500
Axiom
Herbert Smith Freehills

£0
Ashfords

Fees Only
DAC Beachcroft

Fees Only
DWF

Fees Only
Howard Kennedy

Fees-only
Royds Withy King

N/A
Blake Morgan

No Grant
BLM

No Grant
Hewitsons

No Grant
Kennedys

No Grant
Weightmans

No Grant
PwC

Undisclosed

Most target hours

K&L Gates

2088
Gibson Dunn

1950
Latham & Watkins

1900
Clifford Chance

1800
White & Case

1800
Allen & Overy

1750
Dechert

1750
Baker McKenzie

1700
Herbert Smith Freehills

1700
Hogan Lovells

1700
Linklaters

1700
Addleshaw Goddard

1600
Ashurst

1600
Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner

1600
DLA Piper

1600
Hill Dickinson

1600
Jones Day

1600
Reed Smith

1600
Stephenson Harwood

1550
Dentons

1540
Eversheds Sutherland

1500
Fieldfisher

1500
Gowling WLG

1500
Pinsent Masons

1500
Squire Patton Boggs

1500
Womble Bond Dickinson

1500
Burges Salmon

1450
Clyde & Co

1450
HFW

1450
Simmons & Simmons

1435
Browne Jacobson

1400
Watson Farley & Williams

1400
Withers

1400
Osborne Clarke

1350
Wiggin

1350
Bird & Bird

1300
Forsters

1300
Charles Russell Speechlys

856
Farrer & Co

1,250
DWF

1,300
Axiom
Wedlake Bell
Akin Gump

No Targets
Bevan Brittan

No Targets
Bristows

No Targets
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton

No Targets
Davis Polk & Wardwell

No Targets
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

No Targets
Howard Kennedy

No Targets
Ince & Co

No Targets
Irwin Mitchell

No Targets
Kirkland & Ellis

No Targets
Macfarlanes

No Targets
Mayer Brown

No Targets
Milbank

No Targets
Mills & Reeve

No Targets
Norton Rose Fulbright

No Targets
PwC

No Targets
RPC

No Targets
Shearman & Sterling

No Targets
Shoosmiths

No Targets
Sidley Austin

No Targets
Skadden

No Targets
Slaughter and May

No Targets
Sullivan & Cromwell

No Targets
Taylor Wessing

No Targets
TLT

No Targets
Travers Smith

No Targets
Trowers & Hamlins

No Targets
Walker Morris

No Targets
Weightmans

No Targets
Weil Gotshal & Manges

No Targets
Ashfords

Undisclosed
Blake Morgan

Undisclosed
BLM

Undisclosed
CMS

Undisclosed
Covington & Burling

Undisclosed
DAC Beachcroft

Undisclosed
Debevoise & Plimpton

Undisclosed
Fladgate

Undisclosed
Foot Anstey

Undisclosed
Hewitsons

Undisclosed
Kennedys

Undisclosed
Michelmores

Undisclosed
Mishcon de Reya

Undisclosed
Penningtons Manches

Undisclosed
Ropes & Gray

Undisclosed
Royds Withy King

Undisclosed

2019 edition

Most UK training contracts

Linklaters

Clifford Chance

Allen & Overy

Slaughter and May

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

Pinsent Masons

DLA Piper

CMS

Herbert Smith Freehills

Clyde & Co

Eversheds Sutherland

Hogan Lovells

White & Case

Addleshaw Goddard

Ashurst

Irwin Mitchell

Norton Rose Fulbright

Dentons

DWF

Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner

Baker McKenzie

Macfarlanes

Shoosmiths

Charles Russell Speechlys

Gowling WLG

PwC

Reed Smith

Simmons & Simmons

Squire Patton Boggs

Travers Smith

Womble Bond Dickinson

Latham & Watkins

BLM

Trowers & Hamlins

Burges Salmon

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton

Jones Day

Kennedys

Mills & Reeve

Osborne Clarke

Stephenson Harwood

Taylor Wessing

Bird & Bird

Fieldfisher

Watson Farley & Williams

Weightmans

K&L Gates

Blake Morgan

Browne Jacobson

Hewitsons

HFW

Mayer Brown

Mishcon de Reya

Penningtons Manches

Shearman & Sterling

TLT

Walker Morris

Weil Gotshal & Manges

DAC Beachcroft

Foot Anstey

Royds Withy King

RPC

Sidley Austin

Withers

Bevan Brittan

Bristows

Dechert

Farrer & Co

Hill Dickinson

Howard Kennedy

Ince & Co

Kirkland & Ellis

Skadden

Ashfords

Forsters

Covington & Burling

Debevoise & Plimpton