Bredin Prat hikes turnover by ten per cent

French corporate powerhouse Bredin Prat has boosted its turnover by more than10 per cent in 2003.

Turnover is up 11.4 per cent from €35m (£23.9m) in 2002 to €39m (£26.6m) for the financial year ending 31 December 2003.

Bredin has grabbed its usual share of France’s biggest deals, kicking off the year advising Crédit Agricole on its €19.5bn (£13.32bn) acquisition of Crédit Lyonnais, and ending it advising on the €48bn (£32.78bn) hostile takeover of Aventis.

Bredin boosted its lawyer count by 10 to 57. Most came from CMS Bureau Francis Lefebvre when Bredin took on a six-lawyer tax practice.

The recruits have inevit-ably had an initial effect on fees per lawyer, which sank by 8 per cent, from €744,000 (£508,200) to €684,000 (£467,200).