THE LEGAL RANKINGS ARE DOMINATED BY THE LEADING FIRMS

There are few surprises in the top placings across the solicitors rankings this quarter, though some of the also-rans slipped several places as deteriorating listed company performances reflected the national economic slowdown.  

Eversheds tops the rankings of law firms with the largest number of quoted clients, its 1.5 net gain over the last three months pushing it ahead of last quarter's top dog, Slaughter and May, who lost 2.5 clients over the same period. Ashurst Morris Crisp remain in third place, with few changes to the lesser rankings, with Berwin Leighton Paisner retaining its new found position at number eleven notwithstanding a net loss of three clients over the quarter.   Linklaters may have lost one number on ranking, but it gained another, leading the list of law firms with the most profitable clients. Linklaters replaces Slaughter and May, who saw a 32% loss in aggregate client pretax profits.

Norton Rose hangs on to the remaining podium place, its client profits almost unchanged from last quarter's. Clifford Chance may not do much in either of the two 'size' tables, but its lacklustre performance there is more than compensated for by its 'growth' tables performances. The firm takes number one position in both the fastest growing earnings and the fastest increasing EPS stakes, notwithstanding a sharp falloff in client earnings and EPS growth.

Norton Rose puts in a strong showing in the fastest growing clients table, but is not enough to beat Clifford Chance this quarter. However, Norton Rose can derive some consolation from the fact that, across all four rankings, it emerges as the most consistent performer, just ahead of Linklaters in second place and Ashurst Morris Crisp in third.


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