The most highly recommended firms across the UK regions have been revealed by new data from Legal 500, with firms including Addleshaw Goddard, Pinsent Masons, Shoosmiths, and DLA Piper among the strongest performers.
The scores come from the responses to a question posed to all clients in Legal 500’s annual research: ‘On a scale of 0-10, how likely are you to recommend this firm?’
This data is used to calculate a Net Promoter Score* for each firm, a widely used client service metric to assess customer satisfaction, allowing firms to be benchmarked against each other.
The data is gathered from law firm clients across the breadth of the UK, allowing Legal 500 to assess which firms are most recommended in each UK region, from the South East to the North West as well as Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
The analysis draws on nearly 200,000 client responses, with firms requiring a minimum of 150 responses each to be included in the list, as well as multiple Legal 500 rankings.
Regional champions
Brabners, Fieldfisher and DLA Piper are among the most highly recommended firms in the North West, while Yorkshire leaders include Addleshaw Goddard, Pinsent Masons and Walker Morris.
Top-scoring firms in the West Midlands include Shoosmiths, Mills & Reeve and Shakespeare Martineau, while the top-rated firms in the South West include Foot Anstey, TLT and Osborne Clarke.
In Scotland, Brodies, Burness Paull and Morton Fraser MacRoberts stand out for client satisfaction, with Hugh James in Wales and Tughans in Northern Ireland coming out among the top performers in their respective markets.
Commenting on the findings, Legal 500 UK editor Amy Ulliott said: ‘In a highly competitive legal market, there is no stronger endorsement than a client’s willingness to recommend their law firm. Client feedback sits at the heart of Legal 500’s research, and this analysis provides a unique insight into the firms earning the highest levels of trust and advocacy from the people they serve.
‘Beyond the rankings, this data helps firms better understand market perception, benchmark performance and identify opportunities for growth.’
*Net Promoter Scores are calculated by subtracting the percentage of respondents classified as “detractors” (those awarding scores of six or below) from the percentage of “promoters” (those giving scores of nine or 10). The result provides a clear indication of how strongly clients advocate for a firm’s services.
For more information on our data, please contact Ben Wheway, Managing Editor at Legal 500.
The top 10 most highly recommended firms in Yorkshire
| Rank | Firm name |
|---|---|
| 1 | Blacks |
| 2 | Wilkin Chapman Rollits |
| 3 | Schofield Sweeney |
| 4 | Andrew Jackson Solicitors |
| 5 | Addleshaw Goddard |
| 6 | Irwin Mitchell |
| 7 | Walker Morris |
| 8 | Pinsent Masons |
| 9 | Clarion |
| 10 | Freeths |
The top 10 most highly recommended firms in the North
| Rank | Firm name |
|---|---|
| 1 | Mincoffs Solicitors |
| 2 | Ward Hadaway |
| 3 | Muckle |
| 4 | Hay & Kilner |
| 5 | Sintons |
| 6 | Irwin Mitchell |
| 7 | Swinburne Maddison |
| 8 | Burnetts |
| 9 | Weightmans |
| 10 | Womble Bond Dickinson |
The top 10 most highly recommended firms in the North West
| Rank | Firm name |
|---|---|
| 1 | Pannone Corporate |
| 2 | Kuit Steinart Levy |
| 3 | Harrison Drury & Co |
| 4 | Forbes Solicitors |
| 5 | Fieldfisher |
| 6 | Brabners |
| 7 | Aaron & Partners |
| 8 | DLA Piper |
| 9 | JMW Solicitors |
| 10 | Hill Dickinson |
The top 10 most highly recommended firms in the East Midlands
| Rank | Firm name |
|---|---|
| 1 | Smith Partnership |
| 2 | Wilkin Chapman Rollits |
| 3 | Freeths |
| 4 | Nelsons Solicitors |
| 5 | Wilson Browne |
| 6 | Shakespeare Martineau |
| 7 | Howes Percival |
| 8 | Browne Jacobson |
| 9 | Flint Bishop |
| 10 | Roythornes Solicitors |
The top 10 most highly recommended firms in the West Midlands
| Rank | Firm name |
|---|---|
| 1 | Anthony Collins Solicitors |
| 2 | Lanyon Bowdler |
| 3 | Shoosmiths |
| 4 | Sydney Mitchell |
| 5 | Gowling WLG |
| 6 | Mills & Reeve |
| 7 | Lodders Solicitors |
| 8 | Pinsent Masons |
| 9 | The Wilkes Partnership |
| 10 | Shakespeare Martineau |
The top 10 most highly recommended firms in East Anglia
| Rank | Firm name |
|---|---|
| 1 | Fosters |
| 2 | Prettys Solicitors |
| 3 | Birkettss |
| 4 | Mills & Reeve |
| 5 | Tees Law |
| 6 | Harrison Clark Rickerbys |
| 7 | Barr Ellison |
| 8 | Howes Percival |
| 9 | Roythornes Solicitors |
| 10 | Ashtons Legal |
The top 10 most highly recommended firms in the South East
| Rank | Firm name |
|---|---|
| 1 | Thomson Snell & Passmore |
| 2 | Brachers |
| 3 | Stevens & Bolton |
| 4 | Field Seymour Parkes |
| 5 | Pinney Talfourd |
| 6 | SE-Solicitors |
| 7 | Trethowans |
| 8 | Freeths |
| 9 | Penningtons Manches Cooper |
| 10 | DMH Stallard |
The top 10 most highly recommended firms in the South West
| Rank | Firm name |
|---|---|
| 1 | RWK Goodman |
| 2 | Wollens |
| 3 | Thrings |
| 4 | Charles Russell Speechlys |
| 5 | Foot Anstey |
| 6 | VWV |
| 7 | Stephens Scown |
| 8 | Ashfords |
| 9 | Osborne Clarke |
| 10 | TLT |
The top 10 most highly recommended firms in Wales
| Rank | Firm name |
|---|---|
| 1 | Berry Smith |
| 2 | Acuity Law |
| 3 | Harding Evans |
| 4 | Geldards |
| 5 | Hugh James |
| 6 | Harrison Clark Rickerbys |
| 7 | Morgan LaRoche |
| 8 | JCP Solicitors |
| 9 | Blake Morgan |
| 10 | Eversheds Sutherland |
The top 10 most highly recommended firms in Scotland
| Rank | Firm name |
|---|---|
| 1 | Shepherd and Wedderburn |
| 2 | Morton Fraser MacRoberts |
| 3 | Brodies |
| 4 | CMS |
| 5 | Thorntons |
| 6 | Burness Paull |
| 7 | Addleshaw Goddard |
| 8 | Harper Macleod |
| 9 | Pinsent Masons |
| 10 | BTO Solicitors |
The most highly recommended firms in Northern Ireland
| Rank | Firm name |
|---|---|
| 1 | Carson McDowell |
| 2 | Tughans |
| 3 | Arthur Cox |
| 4 | A&L Goodbody |
| 5 | Cleaver Fulton Rankin |
| 6 | Millar McCall Wylie |
| 7 | DWF |
