Two regional law firms with offices in Bristol have been named among the legal industry’s top 15 employers.
The recognition for Ashfords and Michelmores comes from Legal Week magazine in its 2017 Best Employers Report.
Now in its 14th year, the report gathers views from lawyers and support staff at UK and global law firms. 
It examines the importance and satisfaction of all aspects of an employee’s career in the legal sector, across areas including professional, personal, management, career development and pay.
Michelmores, which employs more than 430 people across its offices in Bristol, Exeter and London, scored highest in the ‘professional’ category, which reflects the quality of work undertaken for its clients across the private wealth, finance and investment and real estate sectors in the UK and internationally.
The areas scored highest by its lawyers were “the reputation of my practice area/team”, followed by “the quality of work handled by my firm” and “the level of client interaction I have”.
Michelmores’ support staff scored highest in the category for “the level of cooperation and team work within my team”.
Michelmores HR director Colette Stevens, pictured, said: “We are delighted to be ranked amongst the top performing employers in the legal sector – against very strong competition. Our results reflect the high-quality work we deliver and the great clients that we act for, alongside our ethos of teamwork. 
“It is our people that make Michelmores a success and by continuing to listen to their feedback and ideas, we can continue to make our firm a favoured place to work.”
Ashfords, which also has offices in Exeter, Plymouth, Taunton and Tiverton, also appeared in the listing last year.
It has ranked highly for its reputation in practice areas and teams, as well as for the level of client interaction, quality of work handled by the firm and the level of cooperation and team work.
Head of HR Ken Bryant, pictured, said: “We have made listening to our people one of our top priorities and we are pleased to see that this has been recognised in the Legal Week Best Employers Report. This is an exciting step for Ashfords and we look forward to seeing the firm continue to establish itself as a great place to work.” 
CEO Garry Mackay added: “Once again we have been ranked as one of the best employers in the UK, which is a truly fantastic achievement for us as a firm. This position reflects our continued efforts to make Ashfords a great place to work, and making sure our people’s feedback about the firm is listened to and their hard work and efforts are recognised and rewarded.”
