News

Central London was crackling with excitement tonight (17 May) as representatives from over 60 top law firms convened at IET London: Savoy Place to find out who would be the winners of the prestigious LawCareers.Net (LCN) Training & Recruitment Awards 2018. The awards – now in their 15^th year – aim to identify and laud those firms that give their trainees a flying start in the legal profession, by playing it straight during the recruitment process, and supporting and nurturing their burgeoning careers.

Matthew Broadbent, business development director of LCN, said: “At a time of major change in the legal profession, the basic tenets of successful recruitment and career progression remain constant. Candidates need the kind of high-quality, up-to-date information about their prospects and opportunities that LCN provides, while employers need to devote care, time and attention to finding the right people for their business. We are delighted to celebrate the efforts and achievements of the multitude of firms which have rolled up their sleeves and made the start of so many legal careers incredibly rewarding and invigorating. At LCN we’d like to congratulate all our nominees and winners, and thank the 2,000 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 that included Carly Gilberg, senior manager at Rare Recruitment, and Chris White, founder of Aspiring Solicitors, was awarded to Reed Smith. The judges commented: “Reed Smith stood out for its commitment to both fostering a diverse and inclusive culture at the firm, but also for a passion to drive change within the profession. Backed up by impressive statistics and a range of initiatives that include a reverse-mentoring programme and agile working policy, as well as the launch of its inaugural Diversity Summit, Reed Smith is determined to do more than just pay lip service to the importance of having a diverse workforce.”

The full list of nominees is here:

Best Recruiter – Large City Firm

• Allen & Overy LLP
• Dentons
• Herbert Smith Freehills LLP
• Hogan Lovells
• Reed Smith
• Slaughter and May
• Travers Smith LLP

Best Trainer – Large City Firm

• Baker McKenzie
• Charles Russell Speechlys LLP
• Clyde & Co LLP
• CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang LLP
• Macfarlanes LLP
• Norton Rose Fulbright
• Taylor Wessing

Best Recruiter – Medium City Firm

• Boodle Hatfield LLP
• Bristows LLP
• Farrer & Co LLP
• Forsters LLP
• Goodman Derrick LLP
• Hodge Jones & Allen LLP
• RPC

Best Trainer – Medium City Firm

• Bircham Dyson Bell LLP
• Devonshires Solicitors
• Farrer & Co LLP
• Kingsley Napley LLP
• Leigh Day
• Wedlake Bell LLP
• Withers LLP

Best Recruiter – US Firm in the City

• Cooley (UK) LLP
• Kirkland & Ellis International LLP
• Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe (UK) LLP
• Sullivan & Cromwell LLP
• Vinson & Elkins RLLP
• Winston & Strawn London LLP

Best Trainer – US Firm in the City

• Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld
• K&L Gates LLP
• Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy
• Morrison & Foerster (UK) LLP
• Weil, Gotshal & Manges (London) LLP
• White & Case LLP

Best Recruiter – National/Large Regional Firm

• Burges Salmon LLP
• DWF LLP
• Freeths LLP
• Osborne Clarke LLP
• Shoosmiths
• Walker Morris LLP
• Womble Bond Dickinson

Best Trainer – National/Large Regional Firm

• BLM
• Browne Jacobson LLP
• Mills & Reeve LLP
• Pinsent Masons LLP
• Shakespeare Martineau LLP
• Squire Patton Boggs (UK) LLP
• TLT LLP

Best Recruiter – Medium Regional Firm

• Bevan Brittan LLP
• Hugh James
• Michelmores LLP
• Muckle LLP
• Royds Withy King
• Trethowans LLP
• VWV (Veale Wasbrough Vizards)

Best Trainer – Medium Regional Firm

• Blaser Mills
• EMW Law LLP
• Foot Anstey LLP
• Mundays LLP
• Steele Raymond
• Tees
• Thomson Snell & Passmore LLP

Best Recruiter – Small Firm

• Atherton Godfrey
• Beale & Company Solicitors LLP
• Helix Law
• Kesar & Co Solicitors
• Thackray Williams LLP

Best Trainer – Small Firm

• Atkins Hope
• Birchall Blackburn Law
• Curzon Green Solicitors
• Lanyon Bowdler Solicitors LLP
• Thackray Williams LLP

Best Work Placement Scheme – City Firm

• Charles Russell Speechlys LLP
• Fieldfisher
• Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
• HFW
• Hogan Lovells
• Kennedys
• Watson Farley & Williams LLP

Best Work Placement Scheme – Regional Firm

• Addleshaw Goddard
• Blake Morgan LLP
• Burges Salmon LLP
• DWF LLP
• Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP
• Osborne Clarke LLP
• Ward Hadaway

Best Training Principal (Large trainee intake)

• Ian Gascoigne – Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP
• Sean Lavin – Macfarlanes LLP
• Caroline Dean – Mills & Reeve LLP
• Catherine Wolfenden – Osborne Clarke
• Kevin Devanny – Pinsent Masons LLP
• Ceri Vokes – Withers LLP

Best Training Principal (Small trainee intake)

• Minesh Thakrar – Blaser Mills
• Peter Todd – Hodge Jones & Allen LLP
• Stephen Morris – Mundays LLP
• Ben Perry – Sullivan & Cromwell LLP
• Letitia Glaister – Tees
• Mark Beeley – Vinson & Elkins RLLP