LawCareers.Net Training & Recruitment Awards 2019: the results

Representatives from 65 law firms across the UK gathered at Grace Hall in Central London last night to celebrate the winners of the 16th annual LawCareers.Net Training & Recruitment Awards.

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. 

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 Dechert LLP.

The judges commented: “Dechert immediately stood out among the submissions for its commitment to both fostering a diverse and inclusive culture at the firm, and its passion for driving change within the profession across a whole range of areas. Their unrivalled success in partnering with Aspiring Solicitors for two years coupled with their recent adoption of Rare’s contextual recruitment system has resulted in extremely impressive statistics. With the firm’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee, various initiatives, and a focus on mental health training, Dechert showed us that they are serious about improving diversity and supporting their employees.”

The full list of nominees is here:

Best Recruiter – Large City Firm

• CMS
• Hogan Lovells
• Macfarlanes LLP
• Reed Smith
• Simmons & Simmons LLP
• Slaughter and May
• Taylor Wessing

Best Trainer – Large City Firm

• Ashurst LLP
• Baker McKenzie
• Bird & Bird
• Charles Russell Speechlys
• Dentons
• Norton Rose Fulbright
• Travers Smith LLP

Best Recruiter – Medium City Firm

• Boodle Hatfield LLP
• Farrer & Co LLP
• Goodman Derrick LLP
• Mayer Brown International LLP
• RPC
• Stephenson Harwood LLP
• Wedlake Bell LLP

Best Trainer – Medium City Firm

• Bristows LLP
• Collyer Bristow LLP
• Devonshires Solicitors
• Forsters LLP
• Kingsley Napley LLP
• Mishcon de Reya LLP
• Withers LLP

Best Recruiter – US Firm in the City

• Cooley (UK) LLP
• Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher UK LLP
• Sullivan & Cromwell LLP
• Vinson & Elkins RLLP
• Weil, Gotshal & Manges (London) LLP
• White & Case LLP

Best Trainer – US Firm in the City

• Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld
• Covington & Burling LLP
• Kirkland & Ellis International LLP
• Latham & Watkins
• Milbank LLP
• Morrison & Foerster (UK) LLP

Best Recruiter – National/Large Regional Firm

• Addleshaw Goddard
• BLM
• Burges Salmon LLP
• DWF LLP
• Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP
• Shoosmiths
• Womble Bond Dickinson

Best Trainer – National/Large Regional Firm

• DLA Piper UK LLP
• Gateley PLC
• Gowling WLG (UK) LLP
• Hill Dickinson LLP
• Mills & Reeve LLP
• Osborne Clarke LLP
• Squire Patton Boggs (UK) LLP

Best Recruiter – Medium Regional Firm

• Birkett Long LLP
• Capital Law
• Gordons LLP
• Michelmores LLP
• Muckle LLP
• Mundays LLP
• VWV (Veale Wasbrough Vizards)

Best Trainer – Medium Regional Firm

• Clarion Solicitors
• Sills & Betteridge LLP
• Steele Raymond LLP
• Taylor Walton LLP
• Tees
• Thomson Snell & Passmore LLP
• Trethowans LLP

Best Recruiter – Small Firm

• Acuity Legal
• Curzon Green Solicitors
• FBC Manby Bowdler LLP
• Lanyon Bowdler Solicitors LLP
• Wrigleys Solicitors LLP

Best Trainer – Small Firm

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

Best Work Placement Scheme – City Firm

• Dechert LLP
• Farrer & Co LLP
• Morrison & Foerster (UK) LLP
• RPC
• Weil, Gotshal & Manges (London) LLP
• Withers LLP

Best Work Placement Scheme – Regional Firm

• Burges Salmon LLP
• DWF LLP
• Michelmores LLP
• Mills & Reeve LLP
• VWV (Veale Wasbrough Vizards)
• Ward Hadaway

Best Training Principal (Large trainee intake)

• Richard Capper – Hill Dickinson LLP
• Susan Cooper – Accutrainee
• Sarah Dowd – Weightmans LLP
• Garry Elliott – Addleshaw Goddard
• Sean Lavin – Macfarlanes LLP
• Gwen Morgan-Evans – Hugh James

Best Training Principal (Small trainee intake)

• Tom Canning – Milbank LLP
• Vernon Dennis – Howard Kennedy
• Sue Greaves – Wrigleys Solicitors LLP
• Fiona Kellow – Thrings
• Ian Masser – Beale & Company Solicitors LLP
• David Strong – Marriott Harrison LLP