Six Scots legal firms included in UK top 100

Deputy Business Editor

Tuesday 4 September 2012

Six Scottish law practices have made it into the top 100 of the UK's largest firms, according to new data.

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Greig Cameron

The annual Legal Business magazine survey, which analyses profits and billings, listed Dundas and Wilson (D&W) as the highest placed Scots firm. It was at number 53 in the table, down three places on the previous year.

However, the research highlighted an "annus horribilis" at D&W which saw turnover dip 12% to £54.5 million, profit per lawyer (PPL) tumble 36% to £49,000 and profit per equity partner (PEP) fall 38% to £203,000.Maclay Murray and Spens was down one place at 57 with a turnover dipping 3% to £46.9m, PPL up 9% of £48,000 and PEP growing 5% to £270,000.Brodies climbed three places to 65, with its turnover rising 16% to £42.8m, PPL showing a 19% increase at £48,000 and PEP 10% up at £400,000. Shepherd and Wedderburn, Dickson Minto, Burness and Turcan Connell were the only other Scottish firms to make the top 100, although both Anderson Strathern (103) and Harper Macleod (107) just missed out. Of those on the list the average turnover was £31m, up 5% on 2011, with the average PPL up 4% to £61,000 and the average PEP up 1% to £387,000.The PEP figure is skewed by the 12% rise at Dickson Minto to £1.06m, which is far higher than any of its Scottish peers, with Brodies in second at £400,000 and Turcan Connell third at £383,000.McGrigors, the top-placed Scottish firm in the previous survey at 44, is the only Scottish big hitter not to reappear as it merged with Pinsent Masons in May this year. Pinsent Masons was listed at number 19 in the 2011/12 table with a turnover of £220.5m while DWF, which merged with Biggart Baillie, was at 35 with income of £102m.DLA Piper, which has offices in Edinburgh and Glasgow, was top of the list with a £1.4 billion turnover, 25% profit margin, PPL of £85,000 and PEP £766,000.The combined profits of the top 100 for 2011/12 were higher than £5bn for the first time in the 20-year history of the research.Aided by international growth and mergers billings grew 17% to £17.67bn with profits rising 8% to £5.39bn.When the survey was first published billings were £2.7bn and profits £891m.

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Six Scots legal firms included in UK top 100

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