If the gradual turnover of companies made by Décideurs Juridiques continues its course, rising from 4.4 to 4.7 billion euros, some weak indicators are cause for concern. The increase in the number of black clothes is slowing down and, for several years, more companies have recorded a fall in productivity.
Paul Hastings, number 1. This is the new feature in the 2024 edition of the Décideurs 100 ranking. For the first time in several years, Darrois surrenders the first place to his Anglo-Saxon rival. However, it is still the only French company that showed an average turnover of 3.7 million euros per partner, well ahead of the French average of 1.2 million, and slightly higher than the American companies established at 2.7 million this year. Skadden still holds the record with its 7 million euros per partner. On the English side, the dozen brands in the ranking posted enviable scores. All of them can boast an average turnover of more than 1 million per partner and three of them – Linklaters, Clifford Chance and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer – push this result up to 2 million.
The level of 700,000 euros of average turnover per lawyer is more difficult to reach
In the top 10, the companies to present the best product – this time – with a lawyer with Paul Hastings and Darrois still the same. In order of performance: Mayer Brown, Weil Gotshal & Manges, Skadden, Bredin Prat, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, Dechert, BDGS and A&O Shearman. Here, the average turnover of each lawyer is not lower than 875,000 euros. The best of them are nearly a million and a half per lawyer, compared to nearly 1.3 million last year. In twelve months, Paul Hastings increased his per capita productivity by 30 points. Enough to confirm the suitability of the move of the criminal lawyer Antonin Lévy who joined the company this summer. Others followed the same dynamic: Herald (+31%), Charles Russell Speechlys (+21%) Hoche (+19%), Bignon Lebray (+19%), Bersay (+19%) Deloitte (+18%).
At the bottom of the ranking, the average turnover per lawyer is almost 270,000 euros, compared to 245,000 last year. The last of the rope shows vitality. In addition, the number of companies with an average turnover per lawyer of less than 300,000 euros has decreased, from 19 to 16 in 2023. Logical effect: more of them are placed in the highest ranges of average businesses per lawyer this year. 41 companies produce an average turnover per lawyer between 300,000 and 400,000 euros. There were 36 last year. The high level (400,000 and 700,000 euros of average turnover per lawyer) counts for 25 brands compared to 23 last year. There are 18 companies in the top tier: from 700,000 to 1.5 million euros per lawyer – one less than last year.
A decrease in productivity that affects more companies
There are a total of 847 in the top ten on the list million in turnover this year, compared to 806 a year ago. This is almost seven times the cumulative turnover of the last ten (122 million). In total, the 100 registered sources produced 4.7 billion euros on French soil at the end of the 2023 financial years, compared to 4.4 billion for the previous edition. The English, the Americans and the French share this brute: 2.7 billion for the 39 Anglo-Saxons and 2 billion for the country of the baguette. If an invoice goes well for the top of the basket, overall, the productivity of each lawyer seems to have reached a plateau. His progress has slowed down. It is only 2% on average between 2022 and 2023, compared to 5% between 2021 and 2022. Worse, 25% of brands see a drop in their turnover. Compared to 15% in 2022, and only 7% in 2021. Another trend to watch: 39 firms registered a drop in productivity per lawyer compared to 28 last year and 19 in 2021.
In terms of total turnover, Fidal (283.24 million euros) and EY (252.65 million euros) share the podium with Bredin Prat (198 million euros), ahead of CMS Francis Lefebvre. The two behemoths are also best equipped in terms of number of lawyers. They dominate the ranking established by employees with almost 1,200 lawyers for Fidal and 700 for EY. A great achievement for Bredin Prat to play in the big leagues with only 217 at-bats. In the rating of the average turnover of each lawyer, the structure is placed in 7e position with a score of 912,442 euros per lawyer.
Less increase in numbers
In terms of employees, the average increase in the number of lawyers in the 100 companies surveyed does not exceed 3% when it stood at 5% last year. Nine companies suffered a loss of more than 10% of their workforce. Among them in particular, Hoche (who went from 58 to 44 lawyers) and Fromont Briens, who left an important part of the teams to found Littler France. With now less than 20 black dresses on board, Sullivan & Cromwell even dropped out of the ranking for not meeting the criteria (with more than 20 lawyers). Same story for the partners. Their number increased by 4% in the last issue. This indicator is down to 2% today. Stagnation or not of their population, of the 2,400 partners identified, less than half come from the 30 companies whose turnover per partner is greater than 2 million euros. These performance kings work in structures that have 29.5 partners for a total of 148 lawyers. Two exceptions prove the rule: Skadden and Vogel & Vogel – with their 5 and 2 partners and around thirty lawyers in their offices – generate 7 and 5 million turnovers per partner. Two UFOs attached to droppers.
2024-10-15 09:15:00
#reversal #rise #signs #decline
