Revenue per barrister drops at Seven Bedford Row

Civil and criminal set Seven Bedford Row is celebrating a nine per cent income increase - but revenue per barrister has dipped below the £200,000 mark after a hiring spree.

The set's turnover rose to £15.3m in 2006 from £14m last year, but with 77 members including 18 silks, average revenue per barrister dropped to £199,000 from 2005's £206,000.

Chief executive Robert Graham-Campbell said the chambers' recent development made it better placed to meet challenges set by legal services reform and pressure on publicly funded work.

New members during the past year include Peter Andrews QC and Leslie Keegan, both of the dissolved 199 Strand. In total Seven Bedford Row has added nine new tenants to its roster.