Turnover (£m): 8.8
RPL (£k): 154

Oxford firm Henmans has weathered the ­recession in considerable style, but last year posted a small blip in turnover as the corporate sector remained quiet. Revenue slipped slightly, from £9.6m to £8.8m, while ­Henmans’ profit margin remained buoyant at 30 per cent.

Despite the lacklustre corporate market, managing partner Julia Iball said the firm has continued to scoop up healthy shares of ­professional and clinical negligence work, with litigation totalling 51 per cent of the firm’s ­revenue.

Henmans’ five-partner property practice also fared better than most firms’ thanks to its focus on agriculture. The practice represented 19 per cent of turnover.
Henmans has bulked up its corporate, family, employment and property teams, hiring a total of eight solicitors between May and October last year. The single-office firm is also ­considering expanding into the Thames Valley area or London to accommodate its growing team and target new markets.