The Brief:
US firms dominate London’s longest workdays with Milbank leading at 13 hours.
Magic Circle firms trail close behind, as juniors weigh £180k pay packets against punishing hours.
Junior lawyers at US firms in London are clocking marathon shifts, with Milbank topping the chart at an average of 13 hours and 3 minutes a day.
A Milbank London lawyer typically starts their day at 9:03am and leaves the office at 10:06pm.
And that’s a common affair for most City lawyers.
Kirkland & Ellis and Winston & Strawn follow behind Milbank, both averaging over 12-hour days.
Weil, Paul Weiss, and Linklaters round out the top six.
Here are the top 15 firms with the longest working days in London:
Law Firm | Start Time | End Time | Working Day |
|---|---|---|---|
Milbank | 9:03am | 10:06pm | 13h 3m |
Kirkland & Ellis | 9:45am | 10:02pm | 12h 17m |
Winston & Strawn | 9:32am | 9:45pm | 12h 13m |
Weil Gotshal & Manges | 9:24am | 9:25pm | 12h 1m |
Paul Weiss | 8:57am | 8:57pm | 12h 0m |
Linklaters | 9:16am | 9:13pm | 11h 57m |
Fried Frank | 9:22am | 9:13pm | 11h 51m |
Clifford Chance | 9:22am | 9:11pm | 11h 49m |
Jones Day | 9:15am | 9:04pm | 11h 49m |
Gibson Dunn | 9:18am | 9:06pm | 11h 48m |
Latham & Watkins | 9:18am | 9:00pm | 11h 42m |
Mayer Brown | 9:02am | 8:42pm | 11h 40m |
White & Case | 9:24am | 9:01pm | 11h 37m |
A&O Shearman | 9:21am | 8:56pm | 11h 35m |
Cleary Gottlieb | 9:19am | 8:50pm | 11h 31m |
14 firms now report average finish times of 9pm or later, up from 11 last year - most of them are US heavyweights. By contrast, many UK firms see juniors logging off closer to 7pm, highlighting the growing divide between the City’s American elite and their UK rivals.
Those late nights don’t go unrewarded. Newly qualified salaries at US firms have surged to a record-breaking £180k over the past year. While Magic Circle peers sit just behind at £150k.
Despite efforts to tackle overwork, burnout is still biting. LawCare’s 2025 report found nearly 60% of lawyers reported poor mental wellbeing, with half experiencing anxiety “often or very often.”
We are constantly on call and we cannot leave our phones at home for more than 20 mins. I have had partners calling me when I am in bed for redlines and have been bombarded with emails even when ill.
For most, the question isn’t whether the money’s good - it’s whether it’s worth it.
Source: Legal Cheek