And the winners of the Legal Cheek Awards 2018 are…

Who won what: revealed

The legal profession has celebrated the top trainee-rated law firms and chambers in an extravaganza at London’s iconic Cheesegrater building.

This year’s Legal Cheek Awards ceremony, sponsored by BARBRI, took place on Wednesday evening in Landing Forty Two of the tapering City of London tower officially known as the Leadenhall Building. Floor-to-ceiling glass panel windows offered amazing panoramic views across London’s night skyline.

The ceremony, hosted by Legal Cheek founder Alex Aldridge, was attended by nearly 300 people from the UK’s leading corporate law firms and barristers’ chambers. There were also a host of representatives from universities and legal education providers, including BARBRI President Mike Sims who had flown over from the US to attend. The awards were presented by Legal Cheek campus ambassadors and a handful of sponsors.

A magician circulated the crowd, enthralling the night’s attendees, while upbeat tunes blasted by the DJ created a raucous atmosphere. The drinks were in free-flow, and after devouring the succulent canapés in plentiful supply, it was time to hit the dance floor and celebrate this year’s achievements.

Most importantly, though, were the Awards. Who won what? We have all the results below…

Best Law Firm for Training 2018: Osborne Clarke

Highly commended: Clifford Chance, Kirkland & Ellis, Linklaters, Macfarlanes, Mayer Brown, Mishcon de Reya, RPC, TLT, Travers Smith

Best Law Firm for Quality of Work 2018: Kirkland & Ellis

Highly commended: Baker McKenzie, Bristows, Forsters, Osborne Clarke, Ropes & Gray, RPC, Taylor Wessing, TLT, Withers

Best Law Firm for Peer Support 2018: Travers Smith

Highly commended: Bird & Bird, Bristows, Burges Salmon, Hill Dickinson, Mills & Reeve, Osborne Clarke, PwC, TLT, Trowers & Hamlins

Best Law Firm for Partner Approachability 2018: RPC

Sponsored by Carter Corson, business psychologists supporting high-profile organisations, particularly professional services firms.

Highly commended: Bird & Bird, Bristows, Hill Dickinson, Mills & Reeve, Osborne Clarke, TLT, Travers Smith, Trowers & Hamlins, Womble Bond Dickinson

Best Law Firm for Work/Life Balance 2018: Forsters

Sponsored by LawCare, the charity that supports and promotes mental health and wellbeing in the legal community throughout the UK and Ireland.

Highly commended: Bird & Bird, Bristows, DWF, Fieldfisher, Irwin Mitchell, Mills & Reeve, Osborne Clarke, TLT, Trowers & Hamlins

Best Law Firm for Tech 2018: Pinsent Masons

Sponsored by STEM Future Lawyers, the legal careers network for science, technology, engineering and maths students.

Highly commended: Allen & Overy, Bird & Bird, Bristows, DWF, Gowling WLG, Linklaters, Osborne Clarke, Reed Smith, Taylor Wessing

Best Law Firms for Perks 2018: Linklaters

Highly commended: Allen & Overy, Clifford Chance, Freshfields, Jones Day, Kirkland & Ellis, Ropes & Gray, Shearman & Sterling, Trowers & Hamlins, White & Case

Most Impressive Law Firm Office 2018: Reed Smith

Highly commended: Allen & Overy, Burges Salmon, Clifford Chance, Gowling WLG, Kirkland & Ellis, Mishcon de Reya, Norton Rose Fulbright, Ropes & Gray, Taylor Wessing

Best Law Firm Canteen 2018: Burges Salmon

Highly commended: Addleshaw Goddard, Allen & Overy, Bird & Bird, K&L Gates, Kirkland & Ellis, Linklaters, Reed Smith, Taylor Wessing

Best Law Firm for Social Life 2018: Taylor Wessing

Highly commended: Baker McKenzie, Bristows, Burges Salmon, Forsters, Kirkland & Ellis, Osborne Clarke, Travers Smith, Trowers & Hamlins, Walker Morris

Best Law Firm for International Secondments 2018: Watson Farley & Williams and White & Case

Sponsored by HBW Consulting, a boutique agency that works as a specialist extension to your graduate recruitment team, helping law firms with media strategy, spend and analysis.

Highly commended: Allen & Overy, Baker McKenzie, Clifford Chance, Dechert, Herbert Smith Freehills, Linklaters, Norton Rose Fulbright, Shearman & Sterling, Stephenson Harwood

Best Law Firm for Client Secondments 2018: Bristows, Squire Patton Boggs and Mayer Brown

Highly commended: Baker McKenzie, Charles Russell Speechlys, CMS, Dentons, DWF, Eversheds Sutherland, PwC, Reed Smith, RPC, Shoosmiths, Walker Morris

Most Admired Law Firm 2018: Mishcon de Reya

Highly commended: Allen & Overy, Bird & Bird, Burges Salmon, Freshfields, Herbert Smith Freehills, Hogan Lovells, Latham & Watkins, Linklaters, Slaughter and May

The Trainee and Junior Lawyer Firm of the Year 2018: Osborne Clarke

Presented by BARBRI, the interntional legal qualifications specialist.

Highly commended: Bird & Bird, Bristows, Burges Salmon, Gowling WLG, Kirkland & Ellis, Mills & Reeve, RPC, Taylor Wessing, Trowers & Hamlins

Best Chambers for Training 2018: 5 Essex Court

Sponsored by ICLR, publishers of the official law reports.

Highly commended: Brick Court, Devereux Chambers, Doughty Street, Exchange Chambers, Hardwicke, Henderson Chambers, Littleton Chambers, Radcliffe Chambers, Serjeants’ Inn, 2 Temple Gardens

Best Use of Social Media 2018: Herbert Smith Freehills

Sponsored by Stock + Bokeh, narrative filmmakers.

Highly commended: Allen & Overy’s Snapchat, Berwin Leighton Paisner’s Vimeo interviews with students who have done their work experience schemes, Clifford Chance’s ‘Are You Ready’ YouTube video, CMS Academy video series, Dechert partner Miriam Gonzalez’s Instagram, Henderson Pupillages multi-media microsite, Linklaters’ Silks canteen Instagram, Shearman & Sterling’s Facebook Livestreams, The UK Supreme Court’s Instagram

Best Legal Cheek Journal Contribution 2018: Michael Walker, Cambridge University

Highly commended: Fraser Collingham, Nottingham University, Gareth Wood, The University of Law, Jack Turner, Manchester University, James Brown, Keele University, Julia Babiarz, Manchester University, Laura Bliss, Edge Hill University, Matthew Breen, Dundee University, Omotayo Akorede, Bangor University, Zoe Bowler, Brighton University

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