LONDON firm Teacher Stern Selby enjoyed a good year in 2005-06, building turnover by 16 per cent to £11.4m. The firm added one partner to its roster, bringing the partnership to 21.

The firm continued to develop across its main practice areas of property, corporate and commercial and litigation. Many transactions bring in expertise from all three areas, although property companies such as Fordgate and Better Properties still count among Teacher's main clients.

Teacher is also doing an increasing amount of AIM work, last year advising companies including gold and copper mining organisation Solomon Gold on its listing.

The firm's private client and media practices are also growing, handling high-profile defamation cases last year for footballers Ashley Cole and Kieran Dyer, among other work.