Pinsent Masons, Baker McKenzie and BLP have been ranked in the top 10 of Stonewall's index of LGBT-friendly employers

Pinsent Masons is the top-ranked law firm of the 16 included in Stonewall's workplace equality ranking, coming in at second place behind the National Assembly for Wales.

Baker McKenzie and Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) are the other law firms in the top 10, in sixth and seventh place respectively.

Stonewall's index measures the progress that UK organisations are making on lesbian, gay and bisexual equality within the workplace.

Last year, more than half of the top 10 employers were law firms and a total of 17 made it into the top 100. Clifford Chance and Norton Rose Fulbright are the two highest-ranked firms outside the top 10, ranked at 11th and 19th respectively.

Pinsents, Bakers and BLP received special commendations as some of Britain's best employers for trans and non-binary staff. For the first time this year, the review marked employers specifically on trans inclusivity, in addition to their work on lesbian, gay and bi inclusive policies.

Pinsent Masons has introduced training on gender identity, while Bakers and BLP both implemented a 'Transitioning at Work' policy, with BLP also bringing in gender-neutral facilities and removing gendered titles (Mr, Mrs, Miss) from HR and recruitment systems.

The index measures progress on policy and practice, employee engagement, employee development and support, monitoring, community engagement, the number of openly gay, lesbian or bisexual employees at senior levels within the organisation, and the results of a staff feedback survey.

Pinsent Masons head of responsible business Kate Fergusson said: "At Pinsent Masons we're so proud to again be the top performing law firm and second overall in the Stonewall Workplace Equality Index. With a new focus in the Index this year on trans equality in the workplace, we're also delighted to be featured in the inaugural listings of Top Trans Employers."

Other firms to have moved up the list include CMS Cameron McKenna, which moved up five spots to 26 (31 in 2017), Travers Smith, which climbed 32 positions to 26 (58 in 2017) and Slaughter and May which was 70th on the list in 2017 but now sits in 54th.

Four new law firms entered the top 100: Taylor Wessing at 51, Kirkland & Ellis at 73, Linklaters at 75 and Allen & Overy at 91.

Other firms on this year's list are Hogan Lovells at 31, Herbert Smith Freehills at 33, Dentons at 58 and Eversheds Sutherland at 75.