Buoyed by the feelgood factor surrounding its sponsorship of the Olympic Games last summer, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has moved into second place by revenue in the Legal Week top 50, leapfrogging both Allen & Overy and Linklaters courtesy of a 7.2% hike in revenue to £1.22bn.

It also posted a healthy increase in profits per equity partner (PEP) of 7.6% to £1.398m, widening the gap between arch-rival Linklaters, which managed a 5.9% increase in PEP to £1.313m.