Living Ratings have released the results of its most comprehensive proprietary research report to date, with DLA Piper ranking highest for its strong digital footprint.

Living is a full-service global agency specialising in financial, professional services and tech. The research assessed the brand and digital intelligence of the world’s top 100 law firms in 2021 to an online audience of over 200 global marketers.

The law firm scoring the highest in the 2021 rating is DLA Piper, with Winston & Stawn and White & Case following behind.

Arriving 10 years after the first Living Report, new metrics were introduced to the scoring process this year. Over 6,000 data points were analysed and refined into two categories, ‘engagement’ looked at the website functionality and channels, while ‘evidence’ considered the website and social media content.

Duncan Shaw, co-founder and executive creative director of Living, says, "Given the events of the past year, the need for digital intelligence has never been more business critical and has undoubtedly created fresh challenges for marketers. Certainly, within our Top 20, we have seen some firms producing market-leading content, displaying differentiated functionality and delivering a truly client-centric experience.

Despite the success of high-ranking law firms, there is room for improvement and opportunity for those firms choosing to invest in digital strategy, adds Shaw.

The Living Ratings Top 20 is available to view here. The full report including detailed scores and case studies will be published in 13 April.