Late nights and long hours go together for lawyers like crackers and cheese, but the recent survey of working hours for London’s lawyers has still created some surprises for those interested in such stats.

For instance, the Legal Cheek survey of firms shows junior lawyers at Kirkland & Ellis had the longest days – or nights – starting their shifts at 9.14am and finishing only shortly before midnight – 11.28pm to be precise.

The latest result shows almost two hours’ increase in the length of the K&E workdays from the previous year.

Unsurprisingly, given the US Big Law firms’ hard-charging workdays, the next two firms were also American being Ropes & Gray (finishing at 10.51pm) and Weil (10.17pm).

As for the earliest finishing times, Fletchers junior lawyers clocked out by 5.38pm in time for the 6pm bus home and HCR Hewitsons was also in time for the bus at 5.43.

Among the Magic Circle firms, Clifford Chance and Linklaters both came in at 9.09pm, Freshfields at 9.01pm, Allen & Overy at 8.55pm, Slaughter & May at 8.16pm.