DLA posted an 18% rise in turnover for the 2003-2004 financial year - up to £275 million from £233 million last year - against a backdrop that saw fee income for some of its principal rivals stall or decline.


The firm's average profits per partner also rose from £460,000 last year to £475,000. Announcing the results last week, managing partner Nigel Knowles said: 'Financially, the firm has been strong and continues to have a dominant presence in the UK regional market.'



The next best performance of the national firms in terms of gross fee income was Eversheds, which saw a 3% increase from £286 million to £296 million. Managing partner David Gray said they were comparatively excellent results.



At Birmingham and London-based Wragge & Co, gross fee income stalled at £79.3 million for 2003-4.



Despite this and a 17% drop in profits per partner - down to £210,000 - the firm announced a £300,000 distribution to staff, which will see payments of around £500 to recently qualified lawyers.



Managing partner Quentin Poole described the turnover as 'very respectable given the economic conditions of the last 12 months - and many of our clients have been hit harder than us'.



National firm Hammonds' gross fee income dipped from £137.5 million last time round to £136 million for 2003-2004, with profits per partner dropping 18% from last year's £330,000 to £272,000.



Senior partner Richard Burns said the disappointing figures reflected decisions to grow during a hard economic climate, and added: 'We expect to reap the benefits of our lateral and organic growth along with our sector focus in the coming years.'



London and south-east-based firm Penningtons, meanwhile, posted a gross fee income increase of 10% - from £21.2 million up to £23.4 million. Lesley Lintott, Penningtons' managing partner, said the firm's Newbury and Godalming offices would be moving into bigger premises as a result of the past few years' growth.