The Lawyer 100 Annual Report is based on responses to questionnaires sent to firms and barristers’ chambers in early summer after the majority of law firms’ financial year has ended. A team from The Lawyer, led by associate editor Matt Byrne, followed this with extensive interviews with managing partners, other senior partners and finance directors.

Most firms gave all financial and headcount information. Only a handful gave no financial information at all and figures for these firms have been estimated. We do not identify which firms did or did not offer information.

All financial figures are correct as at a firm’s financial year-end. This year all headcount figures are averages. As before we have included two fee-earner figures, one including trainees, paralegals and consultants and the other without.