The numbers have been painstakingly crunched, a drum has been rolled and RollOnFriday can finally reveal that Fox Tucker is RollOnFriday's Australian Firm of the Year 2011, with an impressive overall satisfaction score of 87%. Check here for the full results.
The newly minted firm - spawned last year from the merger of commercial firm Rankine Tucker and DLA Phillip Fox's former Adelaide office - racked up stellar scores across the board.
As the legal world emerges from the GFC, it seems that the key issues are firms' openness with their business plans and their willingness to develop new talent. And Fox Tucker wiped the board in these categories, scoring 90% and 95% respectively.
The firm garnered much praise for its "top partners" who are "easy to talk to and spend lots of time teaching you". And the firm's decision to split from DLA go it alone seemed a hugely popular one amongst staff, with one lawyer commenting: "best thing the ex Phillips Fox Adelaide partners ever did - there's more of everything".
Including "money", which is so good that staff awarded Fox Tucker a top notch score of 90% (only Gilbert + Tobin scored higher).
Work/life balance was one of the few categories where Fox Tucker did not come out on top, losing out to Mills Oakley. Although a 79% score (second overall) is not to be sniffed at. Despite respondents reporting that work levels are on the rise and associates are "very busy", the firm was praised for its "great buzz".
Which may explain Fox Tucker 's return to chart topping form when it came to the social life category. The firm scored a whopping 95%
Finally, to the biscuits and lavatories. Despite one respondent exclaiming that "even biscuits" had multiplied following the firm's severing of ties with DLA, it seems that quantity doesn't necessarily mean quality. It was in this category that Fox Tucker pulled in its worst performance, scoring a still respectable 80% but only coming in fifth overall.
Happily the firm was back on top when it came to the toilets, with a mighty 85%.
The only real negative appears to be a dearth of hotties, with one lawyer moaning there are "not enough good looking blokes". Overall, however, Fox Tucker garnered praise across the board with one over-excited lawyer trilling "Fox Tucker rocks - watch this space".
Fox Tucker's closest rival was Mills Oakley, which was placed tenth last year but this time managed to nab second place with 80%. Respondents lavished praise on the firm's social scene (88%), with one confessing "partners and staff all love to get a little bit loose at firm functions and parties". Which is unsurprising when there are "partners buying rounds of shots for staff out of their own pocket" and "the CEO is mad!" However, you can't please everyone as one lawyer bemoans that "Jaeger Bombs are served at parties and not Long Island Iced Teas". The horror.
Third placed Gilbert + Tobin also fared well, taking top spot for pay with 92%. Although lawyers are "worked like slaves for it", which may explain the firm's relatively low score (54%) for work/life balance. Overall, however, G+T appears to be a happy ship with staff praising its "egalitarian and open culture" and (somewhat implausibly) its "cool and smart" partners.
A full set of results is set out on Inside Info.
There'll be plenty more analysis of all the key issues next week -
included a detailed breakdown of biscuits, loos and parties. Thanks to
all of you who submitted responses.
Tip Off ROF
The newly minted firm - spawned last year from the merger of commercial firm Rankine Tucker and DLA Phillip Fox's former Adelaide office - racked up stellar scores across the board.
As the legal world emerges from the GFC, it seems that the key issues are firms' openness with their business plans and their willingness to develop new talent. And Fox Tucker wiped the board in these categories, scoring 90% and 95% respectively.
The firm garnered much praise for its "top partners" who are "easy to talk to and spend lots of time teaching you". And the firm's decision to split from DLA go it alone seemed a hugely popular one amongst staff, with one lawyer commenting: "best thing the ex Phillips Fox Adelaide partners ever did - there's more of everything".
Including "money", which is so good that staff awarded Fox Tucker a top notch score of 90% (only Gilbert + Tobin scored higher).
Work/life balance was one of the few categories where Fox Tucker did not come out on top, losing out to Mills Oakley. Although a 79% score (second overall) is not to be sniffed at. Despite respondents reporting that work levels are on the rise and associates are "very busy", the firm was praised for its "great buzz".
Which may explain Fox Tucker 's return to chart topping form when it came to the social life category. The firm scored a whopping 95%
Finally, to the biscuits and lavatories. Despite one respondent exclaiming that "even biscuits" had multiplied following the firm's severing of ties with DLA, it seems that quantity doesn't necessarily mean quality. It was in this category that Fox Tucker pulled in its worst performance, scoring a still respectable 80% but only coming in fifth overall.
Happily the firm was back on top when it came to the toilets, with a mighty 85%.
The only real negative appears to be a dearth of hotties, with one lawyer moaning there are "not enough good looking blokes". Overall, however, Fox Tucker garnered praise across the board with one over-excited lawyer trilling "Fox Tucker rocks - watch this space".
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A smug Fox yesterday |
Fox Tucker's closest rival was Mills Oakley, which was placed tenth last year but this time managed to nab second place with 80%. Respondents lavished praise on the firm's social scene (88%), with one confessing "partners and staff all love to get a little bit loose at firm functions and parties". Which is unsurprising when there are "partners buying rounds of shots for staff out of their own pocket" and "the CEO is mad!" However, you can't please everyone as one lawyer bemoans that "Jaeger Bombs are served at parties and not Long Island Iced Teas". The horror.
Third placed Gilbert + Tobin also fared well, taking top spot for pay with 92%. Although lawyers are "worked like slaves for it", which may explain the firm's relatively low score (54%) for work/life balance. Overall, however, G+T appears to be a happy ship with staff praising its "egalitarian and open culture" and (somewhat implausibly) its "cool and smart" partners.
A full set of results is set out on Inside Info.
| Winners |
|||||||
| Pay |
Development |
Work/Life |
Openness |
Biscuits |
Toilets |
Social |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Gilbert + Tobin |
Fox Tucker |
Mills Oakley |
Fox Tucker |
Mallesons |
Fox Tucker |
Fox Tucker |
| 2 |
Fox Tucker | Mills Oakley | Fox Tucker | Mills Oakley | Gilbert + Tobin | Mallesons | Mills Oakley |
| 3 |
Mills Oakley |
Gilbert + Tobin |
Freehills | Gilbert + Tobin |
Clayton Utz | Gilbert + Tobin |
Allens Arthur Robinson |
| 4 |
Freehills |
Freehills |
Gilbert + Tobin |
Corrs Chambers Westgarth | Fox Tucker |
Blake Dawson Waldron | Freehills |
| 5 |
Minter Ellison |
Malleson |
Allens Arthur Robinson |
Freehills |
Freehills |
Allens Arthur Robinson |
Mallesons |