Partner Article

DWF post 41% profit growth

Manchester-based law firm DWF has revealed profit growth of 41% following a successful year of mergers and acquisitions.

Over the past year DWF, which has offices around the UK but is headquartered in the North West, absorbed a string of high-profile rivals, including Scottish practice, Biggart Baillie, Birmingham-based Buller Jeffries and professional indemnity firm Fishburns.

Earlier this year the firm also saved its Manchester-based rival, Cobbetts, from collapse at the beginning of the year, and took its total number of employees to over 2,500 people.

Revenues increased by 84% in 2012/13 for DWF and the firm finished the year with £188m in turnover, while its PEP figure reached just over £429,000.

Andrew Leaitherland, managing partner and chief executive of DWF, said: “We have been very clear about our ambition to expand our national presence, and that we see strategic mergers with like-minded firms as a key part of this.

“The decisions we’ve undertaken in the past year have all been led by market demand and have served to reinforce the expertise we have as a team.

“We have achieved a lot this year and made significant headway towards our goal of becoming a top 20 law firm and this is down to the fantastic effort of all of our people, and tremendous support from our clients.

“We have more exciting plans on the horizon for the coming year which will lead to further growth in net profit and turnover.”

DWF’s success has also resulted in a number of appointments within its management team, as Paul Rimmer took up the role of executive partner in the Liverpool office and David Gray, formerly of Eversheds International, joined the firm as non-executive board director at the end of last month.

Mr Leaitherland added: “The appointment of David demonstrates our ambition for not only national, but international growth as we continue to build our business whilst keeping our values and culture intact.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Miranda Dobson .