Slaughters, Linklaters and BLP are praised for quality leadership as partners become late converts to the value of management in the legal profession.

Partners at major law firms have become unabashed converts to the value of management according to new research which found 90% believe central leadership to be important to success in high-end legal services.

The latest Legal Week Big Question survey found that 71% thought leadership or management was 'very important' to the success of major commercial firms, while a further 19% thought it 'important'. Nine percent thought 'it helps', leaving only 1% to view its contribution as 'not much'.

The result is a far stronger endorsement of the role of management than would have been seen even a few years ago, when the struggles of managing fee-earning partners were often likened to herding cats.

Eversheds chief executive Bryan Hughes commented: "It is essential that any large entity has clarity to its strategic direction. The key to good management is defining a good strategy, making sure everybody is on side and then providing the investment and resources to make sure implementation of that strategy takes place quickly in the best way possible."

Slaughter and May practice partner Paul Olney told Legal Week: "In general terms, leadership and management is important for success, but it depends very much on the style of the firm. In the more corporate model, management plays the critical role in directing how the firm develops, what its goals and objectives are and how those are to be achieved."

The survey, which is based on 100 partner respondents, found half thought the standard of leadership within management teams at a major law firms was 'good' with 2% citing it as 'excellent'. However, a quarter thought it either 'could be better' or was 'poor', while 22% viewed it as merely 'OK'.

Charles Russell managing partner James Holder said: "Most law firms seem to be managed by lawyers, which is accepted as the best way for a law firm to be run. There is a limited pool, however, of lawyers interested and willing to take on a management role."

The survey found that 89% of those questioned thought the standard of law firm management was 'much better' or 'better' than a decade ago. Only 5% thought it had worsened, while 6% thought it unchanged.

Eversheds' Hughes said: "Generally law firms have gotten far more professional and are better managed now than 10 years ago. Managing partners may have had full chargeable hours way back then, but that does not happen now. Law firms are generally managed by lawyers because you do need credibility of having been there in the organisation. Other people without a legal background will run law firms one day due to alternative business structures, but this process will be evolutionary rather than revolutionary."

The survey found clear views on which were the best managed firms among the UK's top 10 largest in revenue terms. Asked to highlight the best two managed firms, Slaughters, despite its avowedly flat organisational structure, was cited by 56% of respondents. Linklaters came second (48%) followed by Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer (36%), while DLA Piper (14%) and Allen & Overy (13%) were in fourth and fifth place respectively.

Asked to highlight the best managed among the next 15 largest UK firms, Ashurst and Berwin Leighton Paisner were most favoured, being cited by 34% and 29% respectively.

Commenting on his firm's approach to management, Olney said: "There is a reason why we do not have anyone called a managing partner. The senior partner in a firm such as ours is, however, very important as he or she provides a key role in helping to set the strategy agenda, leading initiatives implementing that strategy as well as having a significant ambassadorial role."