Globally the firm’s revenue and PEP increased by a steady 8.4 per cent and 7.1 per cent respectively, but London showed dramatic improvement, with revenue nearly doubling, from £15.6m in 2005 to £29.76m at the end of 2006 – an indication of the significant investment in people made the year before.

Growth in lawyer numbers in London did not stop, with 10 more added. New partners included associate Dorothee Fischer-Appelt from A&O, who was promoted on arrival, and employment partner James Cox from Ashurst, who launched Gibson Dunn’s first UK employment practice.

But the firm did scrap its all-equity model in 2006, citing added flexibility in making lateral hires and promotions as the reason.