Jones Day was the only firm that scored the highest-possible "Best of the Best" in all 17 client service categories, including for its "innovative approach," according to BTI Consulting Group.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Jones Day law firm was just ranked No. 1 for client service among the top U.S. law firms in an annual survey by the BTI Consulting Group.
Jones Day was the only firm that scored the highest-possible "Best of the Best" in all 17 client service categories, including for its "innovative approach."
It also got top marks for "understands the client's business," "regional reputation," "legal skills," "provides value for the dollar," "breadth of services," "keeps clients informed," and "anticipates the client's needs."
"Jones Day is the only law firm to ever earn Best of the Best in all 17 activities in the 16 years BTI has been publishing this report," BTI wrote in its 183-page report. "Jones Day has always been among the best but decided to make changes to its client facing strategies in 2014. These changes include spending more time with clients and looking for more and better tools to understand clients. Clearly these changes are impressing top legal decision makers across the board."
Heather Lennox, partner-in-charge of Jones Day's Cleveland Office. Founded in Cleveland as Blandin & Rice in 1893, Jones Day now has 44 offices in major business and financial capitals worldwide.
This is the ninth time that Jones Day has ranked No. 1, but the first time in BTI's 16-year "Client Service A-Team" survey that any law firm has hit all the performance metrics.
BTI Consulting, based in Wellesley, Massachusetts, compared and ranked 295 law firms for client service, based on more than 330 interviews with general counsel, chief legal officers, and legal decision-makers.
Interviews were conducted via telephone between February and August, with top global companies in 15 industries whose with average annual revenues of $13.8 billion.
Glen Nager, Jones Day's Client Affairs Partner, said in a written statement that "We have engaged with our clients, listened to them about their needs, and responded to their challenges, including in terms of about how we can best serve their needs," said
"Our firm is a cohesive, worldwide partnership that works together to understand and serve clients, and ... we consistently seek to innovate and drive added value for these clients."
This is the 15th time Jones Day has ranked No. 1 or No. 2 on BTI's survey. It is the only firm that has ranked in the Top 5 every year.
In September, for the fifth straight year, Jones Day was named one of the "Fearsome Foursome," one of the law firms that clients most dread seeing as opposing counsel, according to BTI.
Other Cleveland area law firms that made the A-List include:
-- BakerHostetler, at No. 22, in its third straight appearance on the list.
"The firm takes a broad view of client service as it maintains leadership positions in the 4 activities clients say are most important in driving superior client relationships," BTI said. "Clients report the firm spends more time than most working to understand and confirm client objectives before the work gets started.
"Clients note BakerHostetler's deep interest in 'Understanding the Client's Business' to integrate business risk and legal risk. All this time translates into clients seeing BakerHostetler as one of the leaders in the most influential activity -- 'Commitment to Help.'"
-- Calfee, Halter & Griswold, No. 245.
-- McDonald Hopkins, No. 221.
-- Squire Patton Boggs, No. 95.
-- Thompson Hine, No. 75.
-- Tucker Ellis, No. 181.
-- Ulmer & Berne, No. 90.