Baker McKenzie jumps to top spot in law firm brand index in Asia Pacific

Baker McKenzie has retained its ranking as Mainland Europe's leading legal brand, moved back to top position in Asia Pacific, and has moved up five places to take fourth spot in the US rankings of this year's Thomson Reuters Regional Law Firm Brand Indexes.

According to Thomson Reuters, from a brand perspective, the factors gaining most in importance in this year’s US Brand Index were the need for clients to have fast, trustworthy advice from their external counsel. The rapid response aspect of legal work was increasingly important to clients, especially as in-house lawyer workloads continue to increase.

According to the legal buyers interviewed by Thomson Reuters, Baker McKenzie's strength across Mainland Europe, coupled with its ability to connect European clients with the rest of the world, has been a key driver in the firm taking the top position for a fourth time.

"However, it’s more than just scale that has secured Baker McKenzie’s top spot for the last few years,” the Index report states. “Increasingly, the firm is developing a reputation for its client focus, specialist knowledge, ability to handle important work, and delivery of top-notch results. This combination of strength and depth has generated a score twice the number of points given to the next closest firm."

Meanwhile, Baker McKenzie moved back to the top position in Asia Pacific.

"Clients noted that they favor the firm on the basis of its global platform and local market knowledge, and this has translated into incredibly strong levels of consideration for cross-border work…The ability to deliver that pan-regional promise of a connected global experience with deep local knowledge has put the firm at the top of the Index again this year," stated Thomson Reuters in the report.

In the biggest shift for the firm, Baker McKenzie's brand position moved up from ninth to fourth place in the US market.

Commenting on these results, Baker McKenzie’s global chair Milton Cheng said:

"We are incredibly grateful that in-house lawyers and other senior legal buyers consistently name Baker McKenzie as one of their trusted law firms for high value and multijurisdictional matters in key markets around the world. The legal sector is fiercely competitive, and to stand out across Europe, the US and Asia Pacific speaks to the sheer depth and breadth of our team globally. Despite the huge challenges we and our clients are facing today, the strength of our offering means I am confident that we will remain a trusted advisor to so many of the world's most successful businesses well into the future."

Baker McKenzie also placed 12th overall in the UK Brand Index.