Quitting: Two in five plan to move on within five years
Senior associates are the unhappiest cohort of fee-earners at UK law firms and represent the biggest “flight risk”, according to research.
Only 61% scored high levels of job satisfaction, compared to 76% of trainees, 75% of partners and 85% of department heads.
The research found that two in five associates did not plan to stay at their current firm longer than five years.
While salary was a key motivation for those considering a move (cited by 23%), day-to-day happiness and engagement was driven by the ability to do high-quality work, feeling comfortable being themselves and confident that the firm’s partners were nurturing future leaders.
Culture also played a significant role: When associates felt that their firm had a supportive, team-based culture, 83% said they were motivated to perform their best.
The Leading Teams report [1], published by rankings and intelligence company Chambers & Partners, surveyed 1,680 lawyers working at 110 top law firms.
For associates at national firms, the biggest cause for complaint was salary (29%), whereas those working at international firms were more likely to cite work/life balance (22%) or operational issues such as resourcing or work allocation (26%).
Associates at US firms were most concerned about a lack of career development opportunities (28%).
Associates at national or regional firms, on average, reported working six fewer hours per week than their international and US firm counterparts and averaged three days in the office; US firms were closer to four.
Those considering moving firm were most likely to be tempted by best-in-class reputation and improved benefits. Among associates at regional and national firms, the firms most likely to attract them were Mills & Reeve, Burges Salmon, Birketts, Osborne Clarke and Farrer & Co.
For associates at international firms, the most attractive destinations were Bird & Bird, Kirkland, Latham & Watkins, Clifford Chance, and A&O Shearman.
For those currently at US firms, it was Latham & Watkins, Paul, Weiss, Kirkland, A&O Shearman, and White & Case.
Those associates who felt they worked for a responsible business where there were opportunities for learning and development were more likely to be committed long term, as were those who worked somewhere with a culture of teamwork and support.
It was also important to associates to see action taken against those who behaved in ways that did not align with their firm’s values. Only 24% of associates believed that to be the case in their own workplaces, however, with those who were neurodivergent or had primary care giving responsibilities most likely to feel that bad behaviour went unchallenged.
One in four associates felt they had no one to go to if they felt overwhelmed and needed help and these people were less likely to be happy and motivated. Those in national and regional firms were much more likely to feel able to speak up (80%) compared to those in international firms (10%).
Over half (55%) felt their stress levels were unmanageable. Stress was not linked to hours worked or levels of responsibility; rather, those best able to handle stress worked in firms where they felt partners were on their side and actively investing in their futures.
Those who felt stressed were eight times more likely to think the number of hours they were working was too high, compared to those working those same hours who were not stressed.
Lisa Hart Shepherd, chief product and innovation officer at Chambers, said: “Lawyers at the beginning of their careers report high levels of job satisfaction but as they gain experience and move to associate level, happiness levels dip considerably, representing a significant flight risk.
“The majority of law firms are grappling with this but they face different challenges – national firms can offer a better work-life balance but find it harder to compete on salary. US firms offer large financial rewards but appear to struggle when it comes to career development.
“While international firms cannot pay the same levels as their US counterparts or provide the autonomy and work-life balance enjoyed by those working for national firms, they stand out for the AI training and skills development they provide, enabling fee earners to future proof their capabilities.
“What they have in common is that if they want experienced and talented associates to stay, they will need to be proactive and invest in developing their people, create a supportive culture that helps associates manage the demands of the role and ensure that their firm is committed to the wellbeing of employees.”