A recent report by the advocacy group Law Students for Climate Accountability has raised concerns over the involvement of major UK City law firms in facilitating fossil fuel transactions, highlighting a discrepancy between those firms’ public sustainability commitments and their actual business activities. The 2026 scorecard, which evaluates 20 of the country’s largest law firms, found that over the past five years these firms have collectively worked on fossil fuel deals worth nearly £524 billion.

The transactions encompassed oil and gas extraction, coal-fired power projects, liquefied natural gas infrastructure, and associated financing arrangements. The report contends that the continued reliance of the fossil fuel industry on legal services from firms endorsing sustainability undermines the credibility of their public climate commitments.

Among the firms assessed, five received an overall failing grade of F, while another five were rated D. Notably, the five firms graded F were linked to nearly £400 billion in fossil fuel transactions. Leading the list was Linklaters, a member of the so-called “magic circle” of elite London law firms, which reportedly handled £110 billion worth of fossil fuel deals. Allen & Overy and Clifford Chance followed, with £82 billion and £77.7 billion respectively. The other two magic circle firms, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Slaughter and May, were also among the top six firms involved in these transactions.

Collectively, the five magic circle firms were responsible for approximately £358 billion in fossil fuel-related business, accounting for nearly 70% of the total transactions among the 20 firms analysed. Although most of these firms have issued net-zero commitments, barring Slaughter and May, the report questions the extent to which these pledges are reflected in their core commercial work.

The authors acknowledged a broader trend within the UK legal sector towards more climate-focused work, citing firms engaged in environmental law, climate litigation, and public interest cases. Nevertheless, they emphasised that the largest firms continue to maintain substantial business ties with fossil fuel companies despite the escalating climate crisis. The report references its previous assessment that 2025 would mark a critical test of law firms’ climate promises, concluding that many still conduct significant fossil fuel-related work.

The researchers did not address the legal argument that fossil fuel extraction remains lawful and that companies in this sector are entitled to legal counsel on par with those in renewable energy. Instead, they encouraged clients to consider the nature of the interests law firms represent and how these may conflict with their own sustainability goals. They also urged lawyers to recognise climate risks and their potential impact on various sectors.

Neither Clifford Chance nor Linklaters provided comments on the report, and none of the other magic circle firms responded to requests for statements.