Signature boosts revenue 16% as dispute boutiques sustain their ascendency

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Signature boosts revenue 16% as dispute boutiques sustain their ascendency

City litigation specialist Signature Litigation has capped off a run of high-profile mandates to record a 16% uptick in revenue for the 2016/17 financial year.

The rise sees turnover climb to £11.95m. Under Signature’s profit-sharing scheme, 21% of profits were paid out to staff. Cumulative profits paid out by Signature over the last five years amount to 131% of salary. Signature’s structure sees ownership held more widely than the traditional equity partnership towards a co-operative model. Continue reading “Signature boosts revenue 16% as dispute boutiques sustain their ascendency”

Mid-pack pacesetters go early with half-year financials as performance matches expectations

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Mid-pack pacesetters go early with half-year financials as performance matches expectations

Two of this year’s best-performing mid-pack firms in the Legal Business 100 (LB100), Watson Farley & Williams (WFW) and Fieldfisher, have continued their run of impressive form with their half-year 2017/18 results.

After quietly establishing itself as one of the strongest firms in the last financial year, WFW recorded a 13% jump in its 2017/18 half-year revenues. Turnover for the first six months of the financial year to 31 October grew to £76.1m, up from £67.6m the previous year. WFW co-managing partner Chris Lowe argued that the strong result was ‘clear evidence of the success of our industry sector-focused model despite a challenging macro-economic environment’. Continue reading “Mid-pack pacesetters go early with half-year financials as performance matches expectations”

International growth drives Simmons’ H1 revenues up 12% despite tough conditions

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International growth drives Simmons’ H1 revenues up 12% despite tough conditions

Building on respectable 2016/17 results, Simmons & Simmons has announced a 12% hike in its half-year revenues to £167.3m.

The figure is up considerably on last year’s H1 result of £149.4m, and comes after the 900-lawyer firm went on a recruitment drive adding 27 partners since May 2017 (including 13 promotions). Simmons managing partner Jeremy Hoyland told Legal Business: ‘The Middle East and continental Europe continue to do well, with France and Italy being our strongest performers. We have also seen a little bit of swing back towards the transactional areas.’ Continue reading “International growth drives Simmons’ H1 revenues up 12% despite tough conditions”

Sector focus vindicated for Watson Farley & Williams as it maintains pace with 13% H1 revenue surge

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After quietly establishing itself as one of the LB100’s strongest performers in the last financial year, Watson Farley & Williams (WFW) has recorded a 13% jump in its 2017/18 half-year revenues.

Turnover for the first half of the financial year to 31 October has grown to £76.1m, which is up from £67.6m on the previous year. WFW co-managing partner Chris Lowe (pictured) argued that the strong result was ‘clear evidence of the success of our industry sector-focused model despite a challenging macro-economic environment.’ Continue reading “Sector focus vindicated for Watson Farley & Williams as it maintains pace with 13% H1 revenue surge”

Financials 2017/18: CMS claims 25% profit hike post-merger as DWF’s top line grows 23%

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Financials 2017/18: CMS claims 25% profit hike post-merger as DWF’s top line grows 23%

CMS UK has today (20 November) claimed profits have grown 25% in the six months since its three-way merger with Nabarro and Olswang. Meanwhile, DWF’s unrelenting push internationally has seen turnover grow 23% at the H1 2017/18 stage.

Following its tripartite merger on 1 May this year, CMS said H1 turnover for its UK business was more than 50% of its full-year budget, at £253m. Continue reading “Financials 2017/18: CMS claims 25% profit hike post-merger as DWF’s top line grows 23%”

Financials 2017: HSF reports ‘volatile’ year with 11% turnover hike as profit dips

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Financials 2017: HSF reports ‘volatile’ year with 11% turnover hike as profit dips

It has been a mixed financial year for Anglo-Australian firm Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF), which recorded double-digit revenue growth bolstered by a strong run of disputes work, while profit per equity partner (PEP) fell slightly in what the firm attributed to the ‘volatile global economy.’

Continue reading “Financials 2017: HSF reports ‘volatile’ year with 11% turnover hike as profit dips”