National law firm Bevan Brittan has shrugged off the massive impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the legal sector to achieve a 29.5% increase in net profits on revenue up by 9.1%.
Revenue for the 2020/21 financial year came in at £56.1m - with growth across all parts of the business, including sectors that the firm only recently entered such as energy and financial services – while net profits were £14.7m. 
It was the eighth consecutive year of growth at the firm, which employs nearly 300 people in Bristol and also has offices in London, Leeds and Birmingham.
Bevan Brittan credited pre-pandemic -and ongoing – strategic planning for its growth during the most challenging period anyone in the firm had experienced.
Bristol Office head Rosemary Jago praised staff for dealing admirably with the pandemic, adding that prior investment in the firm’s IT systems enabled it to switch quickly to agile working for all its colleagues without any impact on clients.
While some staff were furloughed early in the pandemic, last August Bevan Brittan became one of the first law firms to fully repay all money received from government under the scheme.
In March it announced a pay-rise for all staff along with a ‘thank-you’ bonus, having postponed the previous September’s pay review due to the pandemic.
Rosemary, pictured, said: “The strong partnership between our clients and colleagues over the past 12 months has been instrumental in our ability to successfully navigate the most challenging period any of us can ever remember. 
“I cannot thank all our Bristol office colleagues enough for their help and support during a pandemic period none of us could have seen coming and which has tested us all personally and professionally.
“Against that backdrop, I am extraordinarily proud of what our Bristol teams have delivered for our clients. We are a strong and growing business thanks to the breadth of our client base and the way everyone has pulled together as one team in the past 12 months.”
She said the performance also showed the strength of the strategy the firm had put in place.
Its growth across all sectors was a reflection of its existing reputation in established markets such as local and central government, health and social care, and housing, as well as growing its profile in emerging markets such as energy, financial services, higher education and construction.
The Bristol office’s highlights from 2020/21 included: 
- Recruitment of new partner Jessica Church, a property finance expert who joined the firm’s expanding housing finance team,
- Promotion of seven lawyers – four to senior associate and three to associate.
- Adding construction and social housing to its four ‘band one’ South West practice areas in the Legal 500 2021 directory guide,
- Refurbishment of its Bristol office, pictured, for agile working,
- Donating £10,000 to Bristol office charity St Peter’s Hospice as part of its annual Christmas donations.
