Best magic circle firm?

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Latham? Kirkland? White & Case? Not facetious answer if you are looking for UK BigLaw:-

A&O had the best training in the City but did themselves real damage in the credit crisis and beyond, no idea what they stand for now. RE allegedly their strongest suit now.
CC have been waning for a long time, didn’t invest people in key practices, lost their strongest people to US firms.
Freshfields has some good people and strong areas around M&A and structured finance but don’t go so well internationally, narrow focus generally.
Slaughters don’t do international at all (well hardly). Are more commercial than they used to be, but ruthless and difficult to get on there.
Links had its day when it became more than a boys club, but promoted the good people out of the practices.

Have a look at the rankings of US firms in London and ask yourself if the Magic Circle firms are really going to be competing in 10 years.

likesmart

Super interesting response - thanks!
Agreed re American firm’s offices in London, but this is more of a personal interest question regarding the magic circle.
Could you possibly expand on your LL comments, and the comments re: S&M’s ruthlessness/career trajectories?

Surely we can all agree Links are the worst?

like

I want to say Clifford Chance, because I developed a love affair with them at university. Sadly it was not reciprocated.

I’ve definitely heard that having moved into practice. Trainees wooed by the slick “Are You Ready” marketing getting rapidly disillusioned and leaving at 2PQE

A&O

Ok, no more joke answers plz

funny

What are your criteria? Entirely subjectively, I’d say:

1 = S&M/FF
2 CC
3= A&O / LL

I don’t think the OP was looking for UK BigLaw but for MC...

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