Clifford Chance (CC) has reported 9% revenue growth to £2.6bn in the year ended 30 April 2026, fuelled by strong growth in the US and Asia Pacific.
Partnership profit exceeded £1bn for the first time after growing 11% to reach £1.05bn, while profit per equity partner (PEP) rose 9% after marginal growth over the past two financial years, reaching £2.3m.
The firm’s revenue and profit growth mirrors that of Magic Circle rival Linklaters, which grew its topline just under 7% to £2.5bn and pre-tax profit 11.6% to £1.2bn in FY26. That translated into an 11.4% increase in its PEP to £2.5m.
CC noted it had performed strongly across all regions with Asia Pacific delivering standout revenue growth of 26% driven by a resurgence in capital markets.
Europe (including the UK) and the Middle East grew 7% and 12% respectively, while the US achieved 9%, taking revenue growth in the region to more than 65% over the past three years.
Charles Adams, CC’s global managing partner, said: “As confidence returned to global dealmaking, we advised on some of the world’s largest and most complex M&A and private equity transactions. Our work across the most active global business and investment corridors demonstrate the value of our connectivity across our global platform, our sector expertise and the strength of our expanding US capabilities.
“Over the past three years, we've accelerated the scale, profitability and market recognition of our US platform. We have a strong pipeline of lateral talent and remain highly confident in our growth trajectory.”
CC said its strategy delivered growth across every region and product area, with momentum in the private markets driving strong demand for advice across private equity/M&A, funds and investment management as well as restructuring and private credit and associated product lines.
The firm advised on M&A transactions totalling $274bn in 2025 and ranked 11th globally in H1 2026, according to London Stock Exchange Group data, acting on deals worth just shy of $197.9bn. Deals work included advising US asset manager Nuveen on the £9.9bn takeover of FTSE 100-listed Schroders, the largest-ever acquisition of a European fund manager that will create a combined group with $2.5trn of assets under management.
CC’s US growth was supported by 15 lateral partner hires and internal promotions over the past financial year, among them corporate M&A partner Bryan Luchs from White & Case and Shellka Arora-Cox from Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman to boost its renewables and project finance offering, both in New York.
Going the other way, the firm's more than 400-strong US practice has lost a clutch of senior partners to US rivals this year. The co-heads of its US funds and investment management practice, Cliff Cone and Michael Sabin, defected to Sidley Austin in New York in January, followed by a five-partner finance team led by US global financial markets co-chair, Lee Askenazi, earlier this month. Also in July, CC's US insurance co-heads Dennis Manfredi and Joseph Cosentino left for Simpson Thacher & Bartlett.
More broadly, the firm added 28 lawyers to its global partnership in its most recent promotions round, as well as adding 25 laterals across the firm during the 2026 financial year. Among them was Alexandra Diehl, who joined at the helm of a 15-strong class actions team in Frankfurt from White & Case following partner hires to CC's disputes practice in Australia, Spain, Italy and the US.
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