SJ Berwin

SJ Berwin’s revenue rose by less than 1 per cent from £179m in 2010–11 to £180.1m in 2011–12 in what was a flatter period for the firm than the previous year.

UK turnover dropped 2 per cent from £122m to £119.6m despite the overall turnover increase, meaning it shrunk as a proportion of total revenue from 68 per cent to 66 per cent.

Managing partner Rob Day continued his strategy of strengthening core areas and targeting growing countercyclical practices such as litigation, project finance and energy. The firm hired Greenberg Traurig Maher duo Neil Upton and Stuart Jordan for its energy and infrastructure practice in January 2012, launched a German litigation practice and has a Singapore launch on its agenda as it seeks to benefit from its arbitration opportunities.

In January 2013, SJ Berwin launched an office in Luxembourg with a double partner hire from local firms in the jurisdiction.

The next step for the firm is likely to be a US merger: top brass briefly held preliminary talks with Mayer Brown in 2012, but these never went beyond the exploratory stage.