RPC and Ince join US firm in top three as 1,400 clients polled

Davis Polk & Wardwell's drive to build an English law practice in London has been endorsed by its clients after they gave it the top ranking for legal advice in the annual Legal Week Intelligence Client Satisfaction Report.

News that the Wall Street firm leads the field for quality of legal advice comes hard on the heels of its hiring of a fourth English law partner – Ashurst finance partner Nick Benham – and its launch of a London trainee scheme.

The firm beat RPC into second place, with Ince & Co securing the third-place slot.

The survey of about 1,400 in-house lawyers asked them to rate the quality of service they receive from their law firms across eight criteria. As well as legal advice this included quality of commercial advice, cost billing practices and service delivery.

In the all-important category of quality of legal advice – ranked by clients as the most important element of the service they receive – Davis Polk received a rating of 9.43 out of 10 compared to the average score for all the firms in the survey of 8.5. RPC scored 9.33 and Ince received a rating of 9.20. DWF (9.15) and Field Fisher Waterhouse (9.12) made up the rest of the top five.

The top 10 table of the highest ranking firms for quality of legal advice provides striking evidence that clients do not regard the largest and most profitable law firms as having a monopoly on the provision of the best advice.

Davis Polk's global managing partner Thomas Reid (pictured) said: "We are fully committed to the London practice of English law, so long as we hire people of the same calibre as the people we hire in New York. A rigid adherence to this principle is the simple ingredient to our success.

"Not only have we made a big push to be the highest quality advisers on any legal issue, but we have also tried to anticipate what the next legal questions from clients will be. Clients don't expect us to provide everything the magic circle firms provide, but they recognise the quality proposition in London."

With a score of 8.97, Slaughter and May is the highest-ranking magic circle firm for legal advice, coming ninth. Linklaters (8.90) and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer (8.86) are virtually neck and neck in 12th and 13th places respectively.

The survey indicates that law firms have succeeded in maintaining the quality of their advice despite sustained pressure from clients to cut fees. 

The average satisfaction level among clients for quality of legal advice edged up from 8.5 in 2012 to 8.52 in 2013, while satisfaction with the quality of commercial advice held steady at 8.0. However, satisfaction with cost and billing practices did slip, from 7.22 to 7.05. 

"The key thing for all firms – regardless of size – is exceeding client expectation. To achieve this, you need highly motivated and focused lawyers and staff who understand the firm's values, place in the market and what it is best at doing," commented legal consultant Andrew Otterburn.

"Training does play a role in fostering client relationships, but leadership is far more important – not just from the top, but at all levels."

For more information on the Client Satisfaction Report contact Jeremy Hill on +44(0)2033715210.