Now in its eighth iteration, the Top 25 Attraction Firms ranking is a key element of the Legal Firm of Choice Survey, which identifies the most sought-after private legal practices across the country.

This latest survey was conducted between 14 November and 13 December 2022 and received 462 responses in total, recording the attitudes, priorities and perceptions of private practice and in-house legal professionals in Australia.

Last week, Lawyers Weekly published the Top 25 Attraction Firms ranking for 2022–23, detailing which firms lawyers in private practice would most like to move to. Also revealed last week were findings that one-quarter of lawyers plan to leave their current firms and will do so in the coming months, and which lawyers are most likely to leave in the near future.

Moreover, and for the first time, the Legal Firm of Choice Survey polled in-house respondents, exploring — among other things — which law firms law departments engaged, the volume of law firms utilised by one’s law department in the past year, whether those in-house professionals would recommend their chosen firms to others, and how they would rank the performance of the firms engaged.

Breakdown of firm ranking by gender

Looking at the results, Lawyers Weekly editor Jerome Doraisamy said, it is noticeable not just which BigLaw firms appeal to men and women alike but also how disparate those preferences are.

“Clayton Utz, for example, is the most popular potential destination for male lawyers seeking to move, but for women, it is their 10th-most attractive prospective employer,” he noted.

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Moreover, he added, while seven firms appear in both top-10 lists, six other practices appear in one list but not the other — highlighting the different metrics of vocational appeal from Australia’s largest legal practices, global players and NewLaw contenders alike.

“LegalVision did not appear in this year’s Top 25 Attraction Firms ranking but appears to be viewed by male lawyers as one of their most-desired practices for potential future employment.

“Reasoning for such choices will, of course, differ from respondent to respondent. However, it is fascinating to chart the differences in preferences between major demographics in Australia’s legal profession,” he mused.

Female lawyers’ firms of choice

10. Clayton Utz

9. HWL Ebsworth

8. MinterEllison

7. Allens

6. Corrs Chambers Westgarth

5. Hall & Wilcox

4. Herbert Smith Freehills

3. Lander & Rogers

2. Ashurst

1. King & Wood Mallesons

Male lawyers’ firms of choice

10. LegalVision

9. Clifford Chance

8. Gilbert + Tobin

7. Ashurst

6. Corrs Chambers Westgarth

5. King & Wood Mallesons

4. Hall & Wilcox

3. Allens

2. Herbert Smith Freehills

1. Clayton Utz

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Mr Doraisamy added: “If nothing else, breaking down the Top 25 Attraction Firms ranking by survey demonstrates how critically important it is for legal employers — firms, in-house teams, and government departments alike — to take a more holistic, idiosyncratic approach to managing individual staff members.”

“In the post-pandemic world, legal professionals are more attuned to what they need in order to perform at optimal levels, and employers would do well to remember that what one lawyer wants or values may vary wildly from the colleague who sits in the next office (or is working remotely),” he warned.

To read Lawyers Weekly’s full coverage of the latest Legal Firm of Choice Survey, see below:

• Top 25 attraction firms unveiled for 2022–23;
• What firms did law departments use in 2022?;
• 1 in 4 lawyers plan to leave their firms (and soon);
• How happy are law departments with their legal services panels?;
• Women, junior lawyers most likely to leave firms; and
• Law firms not likely to be recommended by in-house teams.