Firms in this table are home to some of the most contented trainees in the country. In previous editions regional firms have dominated, but this year it's fairly evenly split, with US firms Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom (UK) LLP and Latham & Watkins taking the lead, having achieved similarly high scores last year. Both have small intakes and offer high levels of responsibility (you won't find either of them in the work/life balance or manageable stress levels tables!). At Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom (UK) LLP one trainee enthuses 'the whole package is great', particularly because small teams lead to a strong sense of camaraderie. At Latham & Watkins, a trainee singles out what's so satisfying: 'smaller intake; higher degree of responsibility; excellent quality of work; pleasant working environment; better pay'. A group of regional firms are in the chasing pack. Reading-based Boyes Turner is providing 'City-level training and clients, but within a friendly atmosphere and with a good work/life balance', whilst Bristol's Burges Salmon LLP trainees appreciate 'friendly people, being able to walk home along the river in less than 20 minutes, the variety of work'. Blake Lapthorn is impressing trainees with the breadth of training on offer – 'the range of practice areas means trainees can get a rounded experience and there's a real focus on training'. At Ipswich firm Birketts the combination of reasonable working hours and good levels of responsibility contribute to job satisfaction – 'real work from day one of my training contract'. The North West's Forbes is providing an 'extremely well-structured' training contract - 'and I am given lots of support', whereas in the South West Stephens Scown is winning trainees over through a combination of a 'beautiful part of the country to live in and a reputation for excellent training'. Reigate might not offer the same attractions as Devon and Cornwall, but trainees at construction-focused Shadbolt are just as happy: 'I seem to be training in one of the best firms out of all of my peers'. It's a similar story at Speechly Bircham, the highest scoring non-US City firm, where 'the training is superb. I'm consistently given high-quality work, have been kept busy but not to the detriment of my personal life'.