This quarter, Ashurst Morris Crisp more than compensates for last quarter's drop to third place in the rankings of solicitors by total listed company clientele. A net gain of just 3.5 new clients sees it jump two places to top slot, relegating Slaughter and May to second position, ahead of last quarter's runner-up, Eversheds.

However, competition for the three podium places remains as tight as ever, with only 5.5 clients separating first from third position. At the other end of the table, new entrant Osborne Clarke claims last position, knocking Berwin Leighton Paisner out of the rankings altogether.

In the other 'size' table, Linklaters & Alliance regains the Number One position, displacing Slaughter and May. Herbert Smith gains a place to take the remaining podium position. Across the board there's a significant decrease in aggregate client pre-tax profits.

There's considerable movement across the two 'growth' tables. In the rankings of fastest growing clients, Eversheds gains two places to top the table, ahead of another strong climber, runner-up Linklaters & Alliance. Last quarter's runner-up, Norton Rose, drops to third place. The quarter's big loser is Clifford Chance, down five places to sixth.

Newcomer Osborne Clarke posts its strongest performance in the rankings of solicitors by clients with the fastest increasing earnings per share, coming in at ninth. At the top end of the table, Norton Rose fails to hold off two strong challengers, finding itself relegated to third place behind the new Number One, Pinsent Curtis Biddle (up three places) and runner-up Eversheds (up three places).

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