Top-10 international firm CMS has announced a 3.3% rise in annual net profit as it continues to expand its global operations.

In calendar 2013 total income rose 0.5% on the previous year, to £715.2m.

Cornelius Brandi, executive chairman, said: ‘2013 was a particularly good year for CMS. Despite the global economic situation, we managed to increase our revenue and our profitability.’

CMS established an office in Istanbul during the year and signed a co-operation agreement with energy specialists Woodhouse Lorente Ludlow in Mexico.

At the end of the period it also snapped up former ‘Big Four’ Scottish firm Dundas & Wilson and ZPG Avocats SA, a top-tier firm in French-speaking Switzerland.

The firm appointed 31 new partners, including eight lateral hires, taking the total to over 800. That ranks the firm sixth globally by number of lawyers and 23rd by income.

Said Brandi: ‘All of these are constructive developments that show CMS as an attractive partnering option within the legal industry. We are proud that in 15 years we have built the largest legal footprint in Europe and are consistently ranked number one for M&A deal volume in the region.’