_{The greasy pole, assessed.}

Four ingredients are required to make lawyers happy with their career development: equality, transparency, opportunity and engagement, RollOnFriday’s Best Law Firms to Work At 2024 has shown.

This year’s survey saw thousands of people in private practice rating how satisfied they were with their career development, and their needs were clear: a transparent promotion structure, an equal chance to progress, a decent possibility of doing so, and supervisors engaged in getting them there.

As with Pay and Work/life balance, a potted look at the results (the overall scores are here) shows which firms are helping staff up the greasy pole, and which are igniting it and shaking it around.

1st Burges Salmon

At RollOnFriday’s Best Law Firm to Work At 2024, “Like all firms, the steps to partnership seem to multiply the closer you get, but the process is as transparent as it could be and, generally, they seem to make room for people who work hard”, said a junior solicitor.

Each lawyer gets a 'contact partner' who is responsible for line management and development: “My contact partner actually cares about me and my career”, said a junior lawyer. “I feel supported and respected."

3rd Michelmores, Mills & Reeve

“Progression can be slow” at Michelmores,  “but there are always clear routes and criteria to follow”, while at 2nd overall Mills & Reeve “There is clear criteria to get from associate to partner”.

“We also have 'talent spotters' which does exactly what it says on the tin”, said the M&R lawyer. “At its core it's a decent initiative and recognises some partners have blind spots when it comes to other people's careers and progression (shock!).”  

4th Birketts

“You know what you have to do to move up” said a senior Birketts solicitor. Although, said a colleague, it’s “Classic law firm progression - become a partner, or remain a lacky”. It “would be nice if the workstream brought into the firm was kept by the person who made the introduction, and not the Partner”, was one senior solicitor’s gentle suggestion.

5th Bird & Bird, Blake Morgan, Browne Jacobson

2Birds takes a grown-up approach, said a junior lawyer, with an “If you're good enough you're old enough” attitude “throughout the firm”. The firm placed joint second overall.

Joining the top table flock, Blake Morgan promotes “based on capability and skill set rather than PQE”, said staff. “6 years PQE and in discussions about Partnership”, said one, while at Browne Jacobson at newish partner said it’s “Been great up to last year or so” but is proving “challenging to get into the equity proper”.

8th Clarke Willmott

A trainee at the firm suggested it “would be nice if we got more time off to study for the gruelling SQE”, but as you’d expect from a top ten finisher, more commented along the lines of the junior solicitor who said that partners “are very supportive in my upwards trajectory so far”.

Awareness of the existence of an ‘in group’ cropped up at lots of firm. “If you are ‘in’ then you will fly up the ranks”, said a senior CW solicitor. “If they deem you outside ‘the circle’ you are left in a siding to rust as a safe pair of hands’ This has done me ok; I'm 6 years PQE and a Senior Associate. Do I deserve it? Not really. Do I care? Not really.” That’s the spirit.

11th Russell-Cooke    

“My supervisor refuses to talk about figures with me because I ‘shouldn't be caught up in the numbers’”, complained a junior lawyer. “I have had no business development support and am repeatedly told that there are no junior BD opportunities in our line of work. Despite all of this I have paid extra attention to my own LinkedIn profile and have been approached by a number of useful and relevant contacts in my line of work and have met with them and built great working relationships. This is all off my own back”.

As the ranking indicates, others did get help: “There is very good support for general career development and carving out your own path”, said a colleague.

12th Travers Smith, Weil

Being pushy and a self-starter is an asset, as described by Travers lawyers. “If you’re good and consistently clear about what you want to achieve then I’ve always found that the firm will support you with that”, said a junior solicitor. “I’ve never understood people who get to 6+ PQE and only then indicate that they might want to be a partner.”

“I am personally well-satisfied and feel well looked-after, albeit in large part that's because I always hammer the point home about where I would like to get to at every possible opportunity”, echoed a senior solicitor.

At Weil, you should also go hunting: “If you can find yourself a good sponsor, you can progress really well but it’s a bit of luck and favours certain personalities (perhaps on purpose)”. There are “Limited partnership opportunities - but the deals are good”, said another Weil lawyer.

16th Addleshaw Goddard, Kirkland & Ellis    

Women’s careers can get kneecapped as a consequence of starting a family, but a lawyer at AG had a happier story. “I was encouraged to apply for a promotion as I went on maternity leave”, she said, “and feel confident the firm still cares about my development even while I’m off”.

Another senior associate’s honest reaction may chime with others: “Despite HR organising webinars on promotion I still feel a bit baffled by the whole process and what we're expected to do”, she said. “Which is daunting given this is my year to go for it and I don't have a bloody clue what I am doing!"

At Kirkland & Ellis, “If you work like a maniac they reward you well”, although one respondent flagged that “No one interested in being a mentor to juniors (they wouldn’t have the time even if they wanted to)”.

18th Osborne Clarke

A lawyer at OC said there “is a clear promotional ladder which must be followed”, which “has its advantages and disadvantages… Yes, we don't have to reach the dizzy billable hours that those in magic circle firms do, but boy are we expected to do a lot of other shizzle. Despite saying that all ‘investment hours" are valued, it still does not feel like this is the case”.

A senior associate said it was an “arduous process to go up the ranks” but “you feel like everyone is invested in you and the future of the firm”.

19th DLA Piper, Fieldfisher

Progression at DLA was “Very much dependent on teams”, but “where you luck out with a partner, career development is well supported”. The same applied at Fieldfisher, where there’s “Lots of scope for early responsibility and client contact. However, many of the good 'teachers' have left, and the remaining partners are not particularly good teachers”.

21st Herbert Smith Freehills, Penningtons Manches

The availability of good teaching cropped up at HSF, too, where one junior lawyer summed up the issue of the Supervisor Lottery which affects all of private practice: “Lots of focus on career development and discussing this, but some partners remain resolutely crap at having these kind of conversations”.

A Penningtons junior’s numbers came up: “My boss is an excellent cheerleader for me and my development”, she said. Although it’s always a roll of the dice: “It can be challenging to get access to a true variety of work though, because certain partners don't like to share their associates” she added.

23rd DWF, RPC

Delisting from the stock market presents an opportunity, said DWF staff. "DWF’s new owners appear to be willing to support those who work hard get to the top level of partnership”, they said. “Of course talk is cheap but there will be a brain drain if management just offer big bucks to people at the end of their careers to come across". It’s a case of watch this space: “I'll report back next year when I know the reaction to me seeking a promotion”, said a senior solicitor at the firm.

A lawyer at RPC showed a refreshing resistance to training. There are “Lots of opportunities early on”, he said, and “They’re very keen for you to get involved in BD, which at times can grate but they do genuinely seem to want to you progress”.

New opportunities also create new issues. Providing a view from (near) the top, an RPC partner commented, “Now that we have salaried partners, it would be good to get a clear structure in place for moving to fixed share and full equity”.

25th DAC Beachcroft, Goodwin Procter, Hogan Lovells, Irwin Mitchell, Macfarlanes

A whole pack of firms landed on 67% for sartisfaction with career development (ROF offers a reminder here that anything above 60% is ‘fine’).    

A DAC partner also had equity on the mind. “The only chance of making it to the holy grail of equity is to get into the commercial LLP clusters”, he said.

A phlegmatic senior associate at US firm Goodwin Procter said they didn’t care that much about progression because the deal was so good: "I would happily sit as an associate earning multiples hundreds of thousands of pounds a year until I'm 100 plus PQE”.

And why grow as a lawyer, anyway: “I haven't improved as a lawyer or learned anything since I joined but does that matter if I'm earning loads of money? @ROF, that's a genuine question; it's been playing on my mind." Answers in the comments, please.

Their GP colleague has them pegged: “There are a disproportionate number of ‘hangers-on’ within the associate class who struggle to bill more than 20 hours a week and end the year with a 1,000-1,400 whilst the small pool of ‘good’ (mug) associates get beasted”, he said.

The long slog to glory was on the minds of some Hogan Lovells senior solicitors. “As a six peeker I’ve got the SA promotion behind me and nothing but endless billables in front of me before any kind of meaningful promotion”, said one. “However, the firm makes encouraging (if potentially meaningless and hollow) noises and the money and work is good so I am not completely distraught about it tbh.”

Lawyers were vocal about their frustrations at Irwin Mitchell. One solicitor blasted that the firm “crashes its profits by acquiring a third-rate Scottish firm that no-one had heard of, which was hanging on by its fingernails, spending money shifting the ‘it's not actually Gatwick’ office for reasons unexplained and hires lots of useless laterals - apparently to fatten the calf up for an IPO. Are they thinking about senior associate career development? Probably not.”

Macfarlanes offered “a clear trajectory”, said a senior lawyer, although “obviously the firm operates on the basis that only a fraction (if any) of each intake will make it to partner”.

That deal “is made quite clear” at Macs so “at least you know where you stand”.

30th BCLP, Ropes & Gray    

BCLP lawyers flagged concerns that “The market has been quiet”, but said it was “not a sole problem at the firm. Hopefully the next year brings in more work and opportunities for the junior end”.

Ropes & Gray is “Self led, but that's fine”, while others raised the Supervisor Lottery. “The training & development team is truly excellent, but ultimately, career progression comes down to the partners who you work most for.” Some “are excellent and really care about the development and progression of their team members”, but “Others do not. It really depends on which team you are in.”

32nd Baker McKenzie, Clifford Chance    

“The opportunities presented to me as a trainee have been great”, said a Bakers trainee. “I am given challenging work, a lot of responsibility and provided with support along the way”. A different perspective from a different trainee, who said " there’s still the issue of neopotism (but I don’t think this is a Bakers’ problem alone) which impacts your chance of getting NQ role, secondments, etc. In each trainee cohort, there is a group who has contacts at the firm (literally parents/godparents or alike working at the firm) or key clients”.

It pays to read the signs at Clifford Chance. “There seems to be a path forward to partnership, if you plot your route carefully; though with large teams of associates and not that many partners likely to be promoted, there will certainly be many disappointed associates. It was ever thus”, pronounced a weary seer.

“Up to a certain stage very transparent, until it isn't anymore and you are stuck because you forgot to leave on time...” said another CC lawyer.

36th Debevoise & Plimpton, Linklaters    

“It's a wonderful place to work”, said a Debs lawyer: “Impossible to make partner unless you are very lucky and in the right field at the right time”. Oh.

“It's a great platform to grow and to move from”, agreed a colleague, “I wish there was a clearer pathway to success in London”.

“Not much room to progress internally, but you know that when you join”, chided another Debs senior solicitor: “if you want vanity title changes then there are other firms for that.”

Perhaps not Linklaters, though there are instead “Plenty of opportunities to be found here”, according to a trainee. “No surprises really - it’s why I’m here”.

But the “Attrition rate is too high”, said a fellow trainee. “People keep disappearing every 6 months. It is better than a regular company outside the legal industry but still is not a stable place”.

41st Allen & Overy, Howard Kennedy, Reed Smith, Watson Farley & Williams, White & Case

It is “More difficult to obtain partnership at A&O than landing on Mars”, said a senior solicitor. “They continue to put people through 100 rounds of interviews”, while counterparts at other firms “have 1-2 interviews, and prepare a single written submission”. ROF detects a snubbed solicitor. Beneath that level, “Progression through the ranks is at around the same pace as the other magic circle firms”, said a contemporary.

Howard Kennedy lawyers didn’t bother sugaring the pill, either. “The recent campaign has the tagline ‘ignite your career’ and TBH the flames are already licking around my career in the law after my time here”.

A trainee worried, “We seem to have a carousel of new partners. I don't know if that's normal for a law firm, but it doesn't make for great continuity when you're looking after a matter for 6 months and the supervising partner left just before you take it on”.

Attempting to reach Mars may be preferable to the partnership test at Reed Smith, where one senior solicitor claimed, “You basically can’t get a promotion to Counsel or Partner unless you’ve billed 2,000 hours and shared a bed with your practice group leader”. Surely only half-true.

The promotion structure at Watson Farley & Williams system is “more formal” and “Definitely less opaque than before”, said staff, although “Training sessions for the different stages seem to be the same”.

“It's up or out from c. 7PQE - no nicely nicely for those wanting to stay”, said a senior lawyer at White & Case. “As a partner who trained at the firm, the career development and support along the way has been excellent”, offered a respondent who made it to the end.

48th Norton Rose Fulbright, Shoosmiths

NRF has a “unique career progression path based on job description/title as opposed to PQE”, one of its lawyers explained, but views on its operation in practice were varied. Some said it didn’t really apply – “deviating from the set path (three years for A2, five to six years for senior, etc.) requires you to move heaven and earth” – while others said it didn’t prevent associates “who are well regarded by 'powerful partners' in larger teams [from being] fast-tracked at the expense of other associates' career development”. A junior solicitor was positive, adding that there was a “Good level of responsibility early on”.

“Generally there are options available for career development”, said a Shoosmiths lawyer, “but the onus seems to be on fee earners to kick the door down rather than on managers to turn the handle”.

A trainee voiced opposition to certain supervisors who “are never in the office and are not very approachable". It’s a complaint that was not unique to Shoosmiths.

55th Eversheds Sutherland

There’s a “Huge amount of responsibility for junior associates” and “a clear pathway for promotion”, said some at the Shed, although a trainee was concerned that last year’s NQ issue would be repeated, when the number of roles advertised “was lower than the number of trainees in the applicable cohort”.

57th Freshfields, Slaughter and May

“The route from Senior Associate to Partner still feels opaque, and it’s frustrating to see junior peers be made up at American firms - but there is a sense of security and relative sustainability at Freshfields that my massive mortgage appreciates”, said a semi-satisfied lawyer as the Magic Circle firm.

“They need to move with the times and introduce salaried partners”, grumped a senior solicitor. “Most clients don’t care about whether you have equity or not and just want to deal with partners.”

That didn’t bother a trainee: “Partner in 8 years? Sign me up bby”.

A Slaughter and May senior solicitor marked herself as “neutral”, although “I wish they would tell you how you were doing. Nobody seems to want to stick their neck out or have an opinion on your performance”. The cowardly supervisor is a familiar figure across the profession, though.

“I know the deal - up or out”, said a junmior solicitor, who is “Currently going up. Might end up going out. And if I do, I've done some great work, built a decent CV and will land somewhere great”.

Others at Slaughters were on board with that view. “An up-and-out kind of firm, with not-insignificant numbers falling within the latter category every year. Nonetheless the firm is relatively open about this and is good at not allowing people to hang around in the vain hope of partnership”, said one lawyer.

“It's easier to swim the Atlantic than to make Partner these days”, said others, but at least partners “are very good at ‘moving on’ associates into in-house roles…”

59th Ashurst, Shakespeare Martineau

Career progression at Ashurst “is pretty straightforward unless you screw something up”, vouched a junior lawyer, although a colleague said promotions and prospects were “very hush hush” and that people were “held back just as a way of getting them to leave”. As a strategy, it’s not unique in private practice.

Shakespeare Martineau “has some very broad guidance buried deep in the depths of its intranet”, but there “is no active encouragement or support for fee earners to work up the career ladder unless they are cliquey with their line manager - regardless of how much work you bring in", said a respondent.

61st Dentons

Opportunities at Dentons “are there to develop if you seek them out”, and there are “Decent formal development programmes”, but according to one lawyer, “plenty of line managers are disengaged”.

64th CMS, HFW

“There is a real bottleneck for promotion in our team”, said a CMS lawyer, who wasn’t alone in that complaint. Another solicitor gave voice to the importance of having a patron: “If you don't have a partner in your corner, you won’t be promoted, despite meeting every target and ridiculously involved performance matrix expectations - you're invisible unless someone senior wants to shine a light on”.

An HFW junior rued that reality, and the impossibility of solving it: “Some people are sent on training courses, taken to client lunches, and attend overseas conference. Some are not. There is no clarity as to how you can become one of the chosen ones”.

67th Kennedys, Pinsent Masons

It was a similar story at Kennedys, where “Either you are in or you are not”. The “politics are very strong”, but one respondent seemed to be on the right side of it: “some of the Old guard are real gems”, he said.

Pinsent Masons rejigged its bands last year, to some consternation. “There is some prospect for development”, said a senior solicitor, but “The removal of the intermediate associate tier at the start of the year went down like a tonne of bricks internally”.

“The firm moved from an off-market ‘Trainee to Solicitor to Associate’ title banding to an even more off-market ‘everyone is an associate’ banding”, explained a colleague. “Staff complained. Management said they listened. Nothing happened. Those on the cusp of promotion just…didn’t get it.”

69th Capsticks    

“If you’re willing to work hard you’ll go places”, said a Capsticks lawyer. “The problem is ineffective middle management who often occupy sought after roles despite not hitting their targets or growing the team”.

“I’ve climbed the greasy pole rather quickly”, said a peer. “However, despite a promotion, I am financially worse off due to stagnant salaries.”

70th Paul Hastings    

Satisfaction for one senior associate at the US firm was “None, as they bring in laterals”.

“There isn’t any career development”, complained a junior solicitor. “We’re just bodies to get the deals done. Cannnon fodder you could say.” “The firm only cares about maximisation of billing”, said a trainee.

71st Clyde & Co    

Languishing on 49%, there was frustration at the Clyde's City office taking precedence. “London first every time with the rest unable to hit London targets”, said a respondent.

“Boss is in London. I am in Manchester. He only promotes London employees. We're never going to get on”, summed up a senior solicitor.

There were also concerns around an inverse pyramid preventing progression. It’s “very top heavy north of the border”, said a senior solicitor. “Been lucky as it looks a bit top heavy now”, agreed a partner.

“Transparency is improving”, said a colleague: “Senior Associates are now given guidance on how the partner selection process works. But promotion is very slow.” The “only entertainment we get is watching the BLM partners get the bullet”, said a sadistic native Clydes partner.

72nd Knights    

The Golden Turd assumed its rightful place with 41%. That’s not as lows as some firms have reached in the past, but it’s not great either.

Knights “are now promoting distinctly average people just because they get work done, regardless of what they do to generate the work”, complained a lawyer who did not see a meritocracy before them.

Development “doesn’t really depend on if you’re a good lawyer, more if you adhere to knights principles”, a colleague expounded. “You have to be truly outstanding at [explicit sexual practice] to progress.  Some people have been so obviously over-promoted.  Their [explicit sexual practice] skills must be exceptional”, is how another Knight put it.

Others, though, appreciated the company’s approach. “The Client Services Director in Weybridge helped me to progress from Paralegal to Newly Qualified in under 3 years”, said one respondent. “Although career progression is not clearly mapped out, Knights are willing and open to have discussions with those who make it clear they want to progress”.

Another respondent had the same story. Hopefully it wasn’t the same respondent: “I have progressed from Paralegal to NQ within 3 years”, they said.