The Top 50 - Ups and downs

The top 20 firms occupy the same places in this year’s survey as last year, but there has been plenty of jockeying for position among the smaller players.

Target has hit the revenue growth bullseye, growing faster than any other firm in the Top 50, with an unbeatable 49.5%.It leaps 13 places to 34, following a year in which it almost doubled its partner numbers to 12 from seven.

There are three new entries in the Top 50. Aberdeen-based Anderson Anderson & Brown took part in our survey for the first time, and has been ranked at number 47 in our list of the Top 50 accountancy firms. The 12-partner firm has seen strong growth across its assurance, tax and corporate finance service lines over the past year.

Campbell Dallas also debuts in 44th place, with £12m revenues, while Accountancy Age estimates private client specialist Rawlinson & Hunter’s revenues at £20m, ranking it 25th.

Wilkins Kennedy jumps to 23rd after strong growth in all service lines. It has expanded from 31 partners to 41 over the past year.

There is, of course, no place for one-time Top 50 starlet Wenham Major. Just two years ago the firm flew into our Top 50 list. It then grew swiftly to reach 23rd place in the 2007 survey, only to collapse following allegations of ‘financial irregularities’ in its private clients division.

And spare a thought for Rothman Pantall & Co and Morley & Scott, which both slipped outside of the Top 50 this year. However, this is likely to be because we have attracted more respondents than ever to our survey, therefore increasing its accuracy.