Shoosmiths has been named as the UK's most diverse law firm for the second year running by the Black Solicitors Network (BSN) Diversity League Table.

A total of 50 law firms, including 30 top 100 UK firms, took part in the research, with participants marked out of 500 in two key areas – demographics and policy and practice.

Shoosmiths scored 417 for demographics – which is marked across four different strands of diversity: disability, ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation – and 479 for policy and practice, totalling an overall score of 896.

Watford-based Matthew Arnold & Baldwin (MAB) is ranked second with a total of 861 points, followed by Baker & McKenzie, Norton Rose and Sidley Austin, which are tied in third on 835.

Alongside Norton Rose, the other six UK top 10 firms to participate were Linklaters in seventh, Hogan Lovells in 14th, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in 16th, Allen & Overy and Clifford Chance sharing 19th place, and Herbert Smith Freehills, which was ranked 23rd. Slaughter and May, DLA Piper and Eversheds did not participate.

The BSN table, which has been published every year since 2006, also ranked 23 participating chambers, with Hardwicke scoring 918 points, ahead of Coram Chambers (795) and 9 Bedford Row (777).

London firm Winkworth Sherwood was the participating firm with the highest percentage of female partners (42.5%), followed by Withers (42.4%) and MAB (38.9%). Of the UK top 10 firms to participate, Hogan Lovells has the highest percentage of female partners with 21%, and Herbert Smith the lowest at 16%.

Shoosmiths chief executive Claire Rowe (pictured) said: "It's easy for organisations across all sorts of sectors to talk about diversity, but quite another matter to actually do something about it. Topping the BSN table again is proof that Shoosmiths embraces diversity, and has it as an integral and important part of its working culture."