There are few
surprises in our first 'growth' table, which lists solicitors
according to the number of their stock market clients. Eversheds
continues its reign at the top of the table, with 91 clients,
2.5 fewer than last quarter. The next six places are also
unchanged. Pinsents, Addleshaw Goddard and Hammonds jointly
occupy the ninth position with 40.5 clients apiece, all
slightly down on their November figures.
Table number
two, concerned with client profitability, again has few
surprises but several disappointments as clients of seven
out of the twelve firms show falling figures. Linklaters,
in the number one spot at £10236.3m, is down on last quarter's
total of £10448.9m, but still dominates the scene with number
two, Slaughter and May, well behind at £5930m (£6171.9m
in November). Herbert Smith at number three has changed
places with Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. DLA, while remaining
in eleventh place, has transformed its last quarter's figure
of -£99.2m to a positive £55.5m.
Firms with the
fastest growing clients are shown in the first of our 'growth'
tables. Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has taken the lead
from DLA, and now has 11.3% (14.1% in November). Ashurst
Morris Crisp has moved up from eighth place last quarter
to third this time, swapping places with Pinsents; Clifford
Chance, number six in November, is now in eleventh place.
Eversheds and Norton Rose have both converted their previous
quarter's negative figures into positive ones.