The largest law firms compare favourably with other professional services institutions in compensation and benefits but trail behind in work-life balance and diversity and inclusion, according to a Law.com analysis of reviews on company rating website Glassdoor.

The skyscrapers of Manhattan house some of the most elite firms in the profession—institutions synonymous with power, pedigree and the most lucrative mandates on earth. They are consistently viewed as the leading names in the world's leading legal market.

Yet even with that prestige and profitability at home, many Wall Street names are now looking across the Atlantic. The battle for talent, clients and market-defining deals has increasingly moved to London. Some firms are building substantial practices in the city, especially in recent years, while others maintain a far lighter, or non-existent, presence.

Law.com has analysed the scale of the historical 'White Shoe' firms' London operations to see how they compare, exposing a split in strategies across the grouping.