Cripps Harries Hall

Turnover (£m): 18.7
RPL (£k): 197

Kent firm Cripps Harries Hall rode out a tough year with a 2.6 per cent dip in revenue, from £19.2m to £18.7m. The firm lost its biggest client, the government-owned Channel Tunnel Rail Link, known as ’High Speed 1’ (HS1), when this was sold off in September. Some of the gap was filled with strong activity from ­foreign investors in the property sector, but Cripps is unlikely to find a single client of the stature to replace HS1.

Profitability dropped by 6.2 per cent to £5.3m, with an average profit per equity ­partner of £225,000.

The firm remains prudently managed, with no bank loans. There was no change to ­headcount last year and similarly no change to the lockstep. Cripps has tight control over its discretionary spend and billing. It beat its 100-day lockup target by one day in 2010-11, with work-in-progress of 27 days and 62 debtor days.