Setfords named a Sunday Times Best Place to Work 2026 – the fourth consecutive year of recognition

Setfords has been named a Sunday Times Best Place to Work 2026 in the Medium Organisation category, marking the fourth consecutive year the firm has received the recognition.

The award is one of the most rigorous in the UK employer landscape. Powered by data partner WorkL, only entrants that meet strict engagement criteria are recognised by The Sunday Times. The research is based on anonymous employee data measuring how people feel about their work.

Setfords is the UK’s largest platform law firm, with more than 650 self-employed consultant lawyers operating across England and Wales, supported by nearly 200 people at the firm’s Guildford headquarters. It is the only law firm worldwide to hold Gold accreditation in both Investors in People and Investors in Wellbeing.

Suzy Blade, Director of People and Culture, said:

“This recognition is one we take seriously because of how it’s measured. The Sunday Times don’t ask employers what they think of themselves; they ask employees, and only firms that clear a high engagement bar are recognised. To be named for a fourth consecutive year tells us that what we’ve built a sustainable culture that stands the test of time.

“Behind our consultant lawyers are 200 people who genuinely care about each other and about the people we support. The bistro, the gym, the Mental Health First Aiders, the Financial Wellbeing Programme we launched last year, the Women’s Health Committee, the AI Committee, the Rising Stars and Management Academy programmes – none of these exist for show. They exist because people use them, shape them, and tell us they make a difference.”

Setfords’ approach to people extends beyond the head office team. In 2020, the firm became the first platform law firm to establish a dedicated Lawyer Wellbeing Department, providing structured support to its consultant population.

Mike Brawley, Chief Operating Officer, said:

“What makes this recognition meaningful for the entire business is that the head office isn’t a back-office function that our consultants occasionally interact with – it’s the hub everything they do connects into. When 200 people primarily at our Guildford headquarters are working in the right environment, that flows out to the 650+ lawyers we support across the country. The Sunday Times recognition is for the head office, but the impact reaches every lawyer in our network.”

The recognition adds to a strong year for the firm, which has also been named the fastest-growing firm in The Lawyer’s Top 100, the only law firm to feature in the Financial Times’ Europe’s Long-Term Growth Champions, and New Law Business of the Year at The Lawyer Awards 2025.