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Associates don’t leave for comp – they leave for job experience failures and partner behavior. When these 7 break down – associates are out the door:

  • Abundant and clear commitment to accelerate associates’ careers
  • Meaningful and hyper-relevant training
  • High-impact mentoring
  • Clear career growth path within their firm
  • Strong job satisfaction
  • Targeted support addressing women associates’ distinct needs
  • Having at least one partner actively invested in their success

You can learn exactly what this means for your firm – and see how the firms with the best associate satisfaction stay at the top in the just-released BTI Associate Satisfaction A-Listers 2026: BTI Survey of Law Firms Where Associates are Happiest.

With more than 5,000 organic and unprompted responses – associates recognize only 189 firms for excellent job satisfaction. The following firms are at the top of the leaderboard:

Baker Donelson

Burr & Forman

Choate

Clyde & Co

Debevoise

Faegre Drinker

Fenwick & West

Finnegan

Fisher Phillips

Fox Rothschild

Freshfields

GrayRobinson

Greenberg Traurig

Gunderson Dettmer

Hall & Evans

Hogan Lovells

Holland & Knight

Hunton Andrews Kurth

Husch Blackwell

Jones Day

Katten

Kelley Drye

King & Spalding

Kirkland & Ellis

Kirton McConkie

Latham & Watkins

Maynard Nexsen

McDermott Will & Schulte

Milbank

Mintz

Simpson Thacher

Tucker Ellis

Williams Mullen

Wilson Elser

Wilson Sonsini

Wood Smith Henning & Berman

Start using the report to boost associate retention and recruiting today by ordering now – or learn more here.

Best in the talent wars ahead –

MBR

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