The share of profits paid to the group of top partners at magic circle firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer increased slightly this year – though profit per partner across the firm remained flat.

Full accounts for the year ending 30 April 2017, published on Friday, show that the ‘key management personnel’ grossed £19.1m – up from £18.1m the previous year – an increase of 5.5%. The figures do not reveal how many members are in the group, which includes senior partner Edward Braham, managing partners and heads of the firm’s global practice groups.

Profit per partner remained constant. The firm’s 301 members shared £476.6m (£1.58m each). Last year a larger group of 324 members shared £498.7m (£1.53m). The number off fee-earning staff at the firm fell by 3.6% from 2,511 to 2,420.

Net profit before partner pay fell slightly (0.6%) from £500m to £497m.