Clifford Chance reports record financial performance

22, July 2026 Clifford Chance has announced record financial performance, for the year ended 30 April 2026.

FY26 Financial highlights:

• Revenue of £2.6 billion up 9%
• Partnership profit of £1.05 billion up 11%
• Profit per equity partner (PEP) up 9% at £2.3 million
• Since FY23, the firm has driven accelerated growth-adding £638m in revenue and £295m in profit, including 65% increase in US revenue.
• Strong performance across all markets and product areas, underlines the strength of integrated global platform and diverse client base.

Charles Adams, Global Managing Partner said: “These record results reflect the trust that clients place in us for their most critical cross-border matters. In an increasingly complex and fragmented geopolitical environment our connected global expertise combined with sector insights, give our clients a distinct advantage."

Strong performance across all product areas and global regions

The firm's client-led global strategy delivered growth across every region and product area.

Momentum in the private markets drove demand for our integrated, cross-border advice across the entire private capital spectrum with strong activity in private equity/M&A, funds and investment management, restructuring and private credit and associated product lines.

Structural trends across technology and AI, healthcare and life sciences, defence, renewable energy and infrastructure - including data centres and other digital infrastructure, continued to underpin robust demand for our multi-product, sector expertise at a global scale.

Revenue growth was broad-based across all regions globally, with Europe (including the UK) and the Middle East up 7% and 12% respectively. Asia Pacific was up 26%, driven by a resurgence in capital markets. The Americas delivered further strong growth of 9%, taking revenue growth in the region to more than 65% over the past three years.

Charles Adams commented: “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 deep connectivity across our global platform, our sector expertise and the strength of our expanding US capabilities.

“Over the past three years, we have 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.”

Sustained investment in talent, AI and operations

Investment in top talent saw 28 lawyers promoted to the global partnership effective 1 May 2026. In addition, a total of 25 new lateral partners joined the firm globally.  Of these lateral hires and promotions, 15 were in the US.

The firm has continued to invest in AI, technology-enabled delivery tools, infrastructure and in-house expertise, embedding these capabilities across workflows to support the delivery of client work. With AI adoption across the firm above 90%, these investments are driving greater efficiency, deeper insight and faster execution, helping to create value for clients at scale.

Continued investments in enhancing the firm's office portfolio globally include its new offices in Paris, Houston London and expanding its New York footprint.

Notes to editors:

• Revenue and profit growth is reported in constant currency.
• Partnership profit is calculated after remuneration of non-equity partners and excludes the cost of profit-related annuities payable to partners.
• In US Dollars, these figures are equivalent to revenues of US$3.5 billion, profit US$1.4 billion, PEP US$3.1 million.
• In Euros, these figures are equivalent to revenues of EUR3.0 billion, profit EUR1.2 billion, PEP EUR2.7million
• 124 Band 1 Chambers Global rankings - more than any firm globally for the third consecutive year.
• Year-to-date, the firm has advised on M&A and PE transactions totalling US300 billion, including seven $10bn+ deals (Source: Mergermarket)
• In Hong Kong, we advised on four of the 10 largest IPOs of 2025 by funds raised, representing more than US$5.5 billion in aggregate proceeds." (Source: Dealogic, January 2026)
• Alongside the firm's Chambers Global Band 1 ranking for PE, it was also the first and only non-US headquartered firm to be ranked for US PE Buyouts (large cap). 
• Since moving into our NY space at 2MW in May 2024, our New York attorney headcount has grown by 22%, including 18 new partners.
• Since 1 January 2025, the number of partners in the US increased by 34 (via lateral hires and promotions). 
• Since launching in Houston in 2023 to expand its global Energy & Infrastructure practice, the office has grown to 19 partners and 47 fee earners, advising on energy, infrastructure, environmental transactions, regulatory, tax, private capital, and technology matters.
• The firm is part of the inaugural cohort of organisations in the Harvard Business School AI Institute and Microsoft Frontier Firm AI Initiative -a collaboration with a select group of global leaders shaping how AI is embedded at the core of business strategy and operations.