LawCareers.Net Training & Recruitment Awards 2020: the results

It was a different kind of awards ceremony last night as hundreds of viewers stayed at home to watch the 17th annual LawCareers.Net Training & Recruitment Awards streamed live on Facebook and Instagram.

With the aim of the awards to identify and celebrate law firms’ excellent training and recruitment processes, winners were lauded for their commitment to ensuring that future lawyers were fully supported in joining the firm and in their burgeoning legal careers.

Bethany Wren, content and events manager at LawCareers.Net said: “At a time of major change in the legal profession and the world, it was great to see lawyers, recruiters and students come together to commend the firms that recruit and nurture talent the best. We are delighted to celebrate the efforts and achievements of the multitude of firms that have made the start of so many legal careers incredibly rewarding. At LCN we’d like to congratulate all our nominees and winners, and thank the 2,200+ trainees and NQs who took the time to be part of what is a massive research project.”

The winners are:

The Commendation for Diversity – which was judged by a panel including Carly Gilberg, senior manager at Rare Recruitment, and Chris White, founder of Aspiring Solicitors – was awarded to Norton Rose Fulbright.

The judges commented: “Norton Rose Fulbright stood out among the submissions for its well-embedded programmes that have made tangible differences to the firm’s recruitment statistics and the way it supports its trainees and employees. By embracing a diversity of views and experiences, the firm is able to attract and retain the best talent. With their emphasis on meeting diversity targets, work with Aspiring Solicitors and adoption of Rare’s contextual recruitment system, and focus on improving BAME representation, Norton Rose Fulbright showed us that they are serious about improving diversity and supporting their employees.”

The full list of nominees is here:

Best Recruiter – Small Firm

• Davis Blank Furniss LLP
• Hughes Paddison
• Humphreys Law
• Lanyon Bowdler Solicitors LLP
• Owen White
• Wrigleys Solicitors LLP

Best Recruiter – Medium Regional Firm

• Bevan Brittan LLP
• DMH Stallard LLP
• Leathes Prior
• Michelmores LLP
• Roythornes Solicitors
• Thomson Snell & Passmore LLP
• Thrings

Best Recruiter – Medium City Firm

• Boodle Hatfield LLP
• Bristows LLP
• Farrer & Co LLP
• Forsters LLP
• Mayer Brown International LLP
• Mishcon de Reya LLP
• RPC

Best Recruiter – US Firm in the City

• Debevoise & Plimpton LLP
• Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher UK LLP
• Kirkland & Ellis International LLP
• Milbank LLP
• Sullivan & Cromwell LLP
• Weil, Gotshal & Manges (London) LLP

Best Recruiter – National/Large Regional Firm

• Addleshaw Goddard
• Burges Salmon LLP
• DWF Group Plc
• Irwin Mitchell LLP
• Pinsent Masons LLP
• Shoosmiths
• Womble Bond Dickinson

Best Recruiter – Large City Firm

• Baker McKenzie
• Herbert Smith Freehills LLP
• Hogan Lovells
• Macfarlanes LLP
• Stephenson Harwood LLP
• Taylor Wessing

Best Work Placement Scheme – Regional Firm

• Addleshaw Goddard
• BLM
• DWF Group Plc
• Howes Percival LLP
• Pinsent Masons LLP
• VWV

Best Work Placement Scheme – City Firm

• Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld
• Cooley (UK) LLP
• Fieldfisher
• Kirkland & Ellis International LLP
• Mayer Brown International LLP
• Wedlake Bell LLP

Best Trainer – Small Firm

• Atherton Godfrey LLP
• Curzon Green Solicitors
• Harold Benjamin Solicitors
• Kesar & Co Solicitors
• Ronald Fletcher Baker LLP
• Thackray Williams LLP

Best Trainer – Medium Regional Firm

• Clarion Solicitors
• EMW Law LLP
• Forbes Solicitors
• Hugh James
• Taylor Walton LLP
• Thomson Snell & Passmore LLP
• Trethowans LLP

Best Trainer – Medium City Firm

• Collyer Bristow LLP
• Dechert LLP
• Devonshires Solicitors
• Goodman Derrick LLP
• Kingsley Napley LLP
• Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP
• Winckworth Sherwood LLP

Best Trainer – US Firm in the City

• Covington & Burling LLP
• Goodwin Procter (UK) LLP
• Latham & Watkins
• Morrison & Foerster (UK) LLP
• Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom (UK) LLP
• Vinson & Elkins RLLP

Best Trainer – National/Large Regional Firm

• Birketts LLP
• Gateley Legal
• Hill Dickinson LLP
• Mills & Reeve LLP
• Osborne Clarke LLP
• TLT LLP
• Ward Hadaway

Best Trainer – Large City Firm

• Ashurst LLP
• Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner
• Charles Russell Speechlys
• CMS
• Dentons
• Trowers & Hamlins LLP

Best Training Principal (Small trainee intake)

• Clarion Solicitors – Ryan Millmore
• Goodwin Procter (UK) LLP – Ed Hall
• Gosschalks – Richard Taylor
• Leathes Prior – Dan Chapman
• Milbank LLP – Tom Canning
• Steele Raymond LLP – Jennifer Rogerson

Best Training Principal (Large trainee intake)

• Fieldfisher – Edward Miller
• Gateley Legal – Victoria Garrard
• Hill Dickinson LLP – Richard Capper
• Macfarlanes LLP – Sean Lavin
• Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom (UK) LLP – Danny Tricot
• Withers LLP – Ceri Vokes