Blake Lapthorn

Blake Lapthorn’s total revenue inched up by 3 per cent last year from £44.3m to £45.7m.

Litigation continues to be the biggest fee contributor, a position that is unlikely to change in the short term. Charity work also stands out as a strong performer, partly thanks to work from academy schools and conversions.

Significant hires that are now beginning to bear fruit include a team of three into aviation finance from IWG Daws featuring partner David Daws, John Russell and an eight-person social housing team that joined from Clarke Willmott with employment partner Mike Wilson and an employment team from the same firm.

Significant exits include highly regarded licensing and motoring offences specialist Philip Somorakis, who joined Davenport Lyons, partner Rich Eldridge, who went to Manches, and London senior partner Warren Foot, who left to become chief executive of Cornerstone Chambers.

Blake Lapthorn continued to grow net profit in 2011–12, boosting it by 20 per cent from £6.2m to £7.5m. Partner headcount fell from 96 to 90 while the equity partnership remained static at 45. The spread of equity remuneration ranged from £140,000 to £182,000.