Fee income up at DWF
LAW firm DWF has revealed a strong rise in half-year fee income, driven by a revival in the deals market.
The 12% hike to just over £36m in the six months to the end of October, was fuelled by a 48% surge in corporate and commercial billings. Other areas of strong growth were finance and restructuring (24%), insurance (12%), people (10%) and litigation (6%).
Andrew Leaitherland, managing partner at DWF, said: “These are another great set of results that show we continue to grow despite the challenging conditions.
“The figures show that our strategic investments in corporate and finance are clearly starting to pay off. This, coupled with impressive growth in other areas like insurance and people, means we are in good shape for the future.”
Mr Leaitherland said he expects the next six months to “continue to be tough”, but is confident in the future. DWF has offices in Manchester, Liverpool, Preston, Leeds and London.
It is now among the 50 largest firms in the country, but has ambitions to reach the top 30.
Mr Leaitherland added: “We have grown the firm substantially over the last 18 months to 1,250 people across five locations.
“We have recruited three equity and six salaried partners in addition to a number of strategically important lateral hires, as we continue to attract the best talent from our key competitors.
“Our commitment to our clients is underpinned by our values that differentiate us and provide the framework for our ambitious future growth as we strive for the status of a top 30 law firm.”
