Linklaters and Norton Rose Fulbright have been rated as the law firms that associates at rivals would most like to work for, according to new research by Legal Week.

Legal Week Intelligence's flagship Employee Satisfaction Report (ESR) this year found the pair ranked ahead of Slaughter and May, Allen & Overy (A&O) and Pinsent Masons as the five most popular firms to work for, as rated by peers at rival law firms.

Norton Rose, A&O and Slaughters have been in the top five for the last three years of the survey, while Pinsents and Linklaters are new entrants this year, replacing Berwin Leighton Paisner and Clyde & Co.

Norton Rose Fulbright deputy managing partner Tim Marsden commented: "It is very flattering to be perceived this way. To receive this accolade for the third year running is testament to the quality of our people who help us to create this great working environment".

The ESR rankings are based on responses from almost 4,000 lawyers below partner level and look at associate satisfaction with a range of factors, including how their current employer rates for quality of work and clients, reputation and profitability, as well as work/life balance.

When combining all factors, Travers Smith secured the top spot among City law firms with the highest level of overall employee satisfaction, while Shoosmiths jumped to first place in the national firm category and also topped the overall rankings after placing third last year. Meanwhile, Weil Gotshal & Manges was the top-scoring firm in the US category with Baker & McKenzie the top-ranked international firm.

Shoosmiths HR director Louise Hadland commented: "We have a set of values which guide our every decision, and because of these values, our staff know where they stand. We work hard at educating our staff about our values – everybody here receives a three-hour session on our values as part of their induction while each senior appointment is first interviewed by our CEO or chairman to ensure they have the right cultural fit."

Travers scored the highest for employee retention, with the lowest percentage of staff looking for a new role (4%). Travers' staff are also most satisfied with their salaries – with average satisfaction levels 30% higher than at other firms surveyed.

Travers managing partner Andrew Lilley (pictured) said: "The importance of a good working environment at Travers has always been a top priority. Perhaps one of the unusual things we do is the configuration of our working areas – we typically have a mix of a partner, associates and a trainee in each office, which aims to create a less hierarchical feel to our working environment."

For more information about the Employee Satisfaction Report, contact Sean Donaghey on 020 7316 9575.