Ward Hadaway

Turnover at North East firm Ward Hadaway crept above the £30m mark in 2011–12 — a 5.6 per cent increase from 2010–11’s £28.4m.

However, average profit per equity partner was down by almost 5 per cent, from £295,000 to £281,000, a figure that is considerably less than the pre-recession 2007–08 high of £408,000.

More than half (51 per cent) of total turnover in 2011–12 was generated by litigation head Jeff Keeble’s 31-partner practice, and a further quarter (25 per cent) brought in by head of property Neil Robson and his 14-partner team. Corporate represented 19 per cent of revenue, the same as the previous year.

However, Ward Hadaway lost public sector head of property Andrea Proudlock and legal executive Richard Hartis to DAC Beachcroft in May.

The firm has been quieter in the lateral hire market after a busy 2010–11 saw Mark Whitehead move from regional rival Watson Burton in July 2011 to become the tenth lawyer to join within nine months.