If law firm brochures are to be believed, life as a solicitor at a top firm could not be more fulfilling. The truth is somewhat different. Working at the coalface of commercial law can be tough, and the reality is that some firms are better than others at looking after their staff.

Every year Legal Week Intelligence sets out to identify the law firms that have the most satisfied fee earners by publishing the results of our annual Employee Satisfaction Survey – a comprehensive, profession-wide survey of fee earners. Respondents are canvassed on the most important factors affecting their working lives and how their expectations are being met at their firms. They are asked about the quality of work they undertake, their treatment by partners, career opportunities, the prestige of their own firms and the other firms they most admire.

In 2014 the survey received almost 3,000 replies from lawyers at the UK top 100 and the 20 largest international/US firms in London. In recognition of the work being done by firms to improve satisfaction levels, Legal Week Intelligence provides a Best Legal Employer accreditation to those firms that record the highest scores and engage with the findings, which are published in the Employee Satisfaction Report. To receive an accreditation, law firms must be placed among the top performers in one of two categories: UK law firms and global law firms.

The following firms have been named ESR 2014 Best Legal Employers – click on the links below to read a summary of their results.

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Burges Salmon has retained its place in the top 10 UK firms for employee satisfaction, scoring highly for quality of work, support services and strength of brand – click here for more information.

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DWF made an impressive showing in the 2014 Employee Satisfaction Report, with its staff speaking positively about the firm's work quality and client quality – click here for more information.

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Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has always had a strong reputation with an impressive array of global clients, but which areas are its employees most happy with? Click here for more information.

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As in last year's report, Reed Smith's fee earners rated their office environment very highly, while the firm is also comfortably above average in other key areas – click here for more information.

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Weil Gotshal & Manges claims the prize of the most highly ranked global firm of the 22 ranked this year – what is it that makes this firm stand out? Click here for more information.

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RPC's employees believe the firm delivers a career with a good work-life balance, while other factors cited by staff include quality of clients and quality of work – click here for more information.

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Shoosmiths maintains its lead position in this year's rankings, scoring above the national average across the board. To find out why the firm ranks so highly – click here for more information.

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Of all the UK firms in this report, Withers rates the highest for fee earner interaction with clients. Other standout scores include work and client quality and prestige – click here for more information.

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As one survey respondent puts it: "There does seem to be a Weightmans kind of person, as everyone gets on really well and there is a good atmosphere." Click here for more information.

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In this video, Legal Week director of research Des Cahill and news editor Gavriel Hollander look at which firms are best at keeping their staff happy.

For further information on the Best Legal Employer accreditation and having your firm profiled, please <a href="email Lara Rosenthal or call: +44 (0)20 7316 9864     .

Related articles:

• Shoosmiths, Weil Gotshal and DWF shine as employee satisfaction rises
• Family matters – are law firms delivering on their flexible working promises?