Bircham Dyson Bell
UK 200 RESULTS 2010
Movement since 2009
Turnover (£M):
Profit per equity partner (£K):
Earnings per partner (£K):
Equity spread (£K):
Net profit (£M):
Profit margin (%):
Revenue per fee-earner (£K):
Revenue per lawyer (£K):
Revenue per partner (£K):
Revenue per equity partner (£K):
Total number of fee-earners:
Total number of qualified lawyers:
Total number of partners:
Total number of equity partners:
Total number of female partners:
Total number of female equity partners:
Total number of staff:
Leverage ratio (fee-earners per equity partner):
UP
31.9
281
131.25
100-300
7.8
24
179.2
259.3
664.6
1,139.3
178
123
48
28
7
4
267
3.39
Westminster-based Bircham Dyson Bell saw its average profit per equity partner rocket by 18.5 per cent, from £237,000 to £281,000 last year. Revenue at the 48-partner firm, however, fell by 1.5 per cent, from £32.4m to £31.9m. The gap between the highest- and lowest-earning partners grew: those at the top of the modified lockstep pocketed £300,000 last year compared with £270,000 in 2009.
The firm’s corporate department generated 21 per cent of total revenue, with litigation and property accounting for 16 and 15 per cent respectively.
Bircham completed a second redundancy consultation in May 2009, leading to the loss of five fee-earners and 10 secretarial and support staff. The move brought the total number of job losses at the firm since the downturn to 19, following the loss of four jobs in 2008.
It also announced a salary freeze across its entire workforce last March.
UK 200 RESULTS 2009
Movement since 2008
Turnover (£M):
Profit per equity partner (£K):
Earnings per partner (£K):
Equity spread (£K):
Net profit (£M):
Profit margin (%):
Revenue per fee-earner (£K):
Revenue per lawyer (£K):
Revenue per partner (£K):
Revenue per equity partner (£K):
Total number of fee-earners:
Total number of qualified lawyers:
Total number of partners:
Total number of equity partners:
Total number of female partners:
Total number of female equity partners:
Total number of staff:
Leverage ratio (fee-earners per equity partner):
DOWN
32.4
230
163.3
100 - 270
6.6
20
198
268
661
1,157
164
121
49
28
8
4
274
3.32
Bircham Dyson Bell’s (BDB) average profit per equity partner (PEP) plummeted by a whopping 26 per cent from £312,000 to £230,000 last year, although turnover dipped by just 8 per cent from £35.5m to £32.4m.
The firm completed a second round of redundancies in May, which saw the loss of five fee-earners and 10 secretarial jobs.
A highlight for BDB was the hire of DLA Piper partner Nick Maltby to head the commercial projects team. Maltby will work under head of projects Robbie Owen, who said at the time of the appointment that the hire was designed to broaden the firm’s offering for projects work.
BDB is in the process of restructuring its equity to include two classes of partner, full equity partner and reduced share equity partner (RSEP), with the latter offering a single profit share and fixed remuneration.
For the past two years the firm has been moving towards this simplified structure. All of the lawyers promoted to the partnership in the past two years took the option of becoming an RSEP.
BDB has for several years offered PR, planning and parliamentary advice alongside its traditional legal services.
NEWS
Bircham Dyson Bell makes interim chief permanent
Bircham Dyson Bell has announced that temporary managing partner Jesper Christensen will fill the role on a permanent basis.
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