Peters & Peters

Peters & Peters is an example of how a litigation boutique should be run. Following on from its headline-making instructions and growth of 2010–11, the firm put on more than 15 per cent in overall revenue during 2011–12, remained focused on its strengths of white-collar crime and civil fraud and made its partnership tight and cohesive.

Its City office grossed £10.3m in 2011–12, up from £8.9m the previous year, thanks to its 31 lawyers bringing in an average of £331,000 each. That represents a 67 per cent uplift from 2010–11’s £198,000.

Senior partner Keith Oliver leads a partnership of 11, which is made up of seven partners and four at equivalent partner level. They are divided into a civil fraud and international commercial litigation department, led by Oliver, with partners Jonathan Tickner and Sarah Gabriel.

The business crime department is headed by Michael O’Kane and manned by partners David Mcluskey, Neil Swift and Jasvinder Nakhwal, supported by special counsel Monty Raphael QC and Alan Bacarese and consultant Anand Doobay and Helen McDowell.

The firm’s stellar reputation means it picked up some of the standout international cases being litigated in London during 2011–12, including action against Formula 1 supremo Bernie Eccleston, a Nigerian £800m banking fraud claim, a piece of the Madoff case and a number of instructions on behalf of the NHS.

Oliver is also representing 30 of the 32 former Halliwells equity partners in their ongoing negotiations with the failed firm’s liquidators.

There is no management board at Peters & Peters, but significant decisions are ratified by the partnership.

Peters & Peters did not reveal its average profit per equity partner or net profit figures for 2011–12. Remuneration is decided by a modified lockstep system.