Ballard Spahr was able to grow its gross revenue in 2011 above the firm’s all-time high in 2010, but could not match the rate of increase in its headcount thanks to a downturn in its public finance practice and a general over capacity in certain areas, the firm’s chairman said.
Ballard Spahr grew gross revenue 4.2 percent from $273.5 million in 2010 to $285 million in 2011. The firm’s headcount, however, grew by 6.1 percent from 446 attorneys to 473. That larger rise in headcount as compared to revenue caused a decrease in the firm’s revenue per lawyer (RPL) of 1.6 percent from $615,000 in 2010 to $605,000 in 2011.
