| Turnover: | £309.1m |
| Profit per equity partner: | £440,000 |
| Revenue per lawyer: | £338,000 |
| Total number of lawyers: | 941 |
Reed Smith's international strategy was in the spotlight during 2006 with its transatlantic tie-up with UK firm Richards Butler.
The firm has grown rapidly in the past few years and is set to continue this significantly when the merger goes live at the start of 2007 with what will be Reed Smith Richards Butler. The move will add offices in Greece and the Middle East and double the firm's Paris presence.
The two firms have already begun hiring jointly, bringing in outsourcing specialist Susan Mann from Verizon Communications to prepare for a push into telecoms and technology in 2007.
Reed Smith also shored up its domestic offering with a merger with Chicago firm Sachnoff & Weaver, due for completion in March 2007.
By the time these mergers have taken full effect next year, Reed Smith will have grown by around 50 per cent, expanding from a 941-lawyer, £309.1m ($562.5m) operation to become a 1,500 lawyer firm with a revenue of more than £467m ($850m).
The only stone in the shoe of the Reed Smith management is Richards Butler's highly lucrative Hong Kong office, which will remain a separate partnership. The Hong Kong partnership's defiance could cost the merged firm around £27.5m ($50m), as the office accounts for around a third of Richards Butler's total revenue.
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