London firms posted the fastest growth rates in the French legal market in 2001, but continue to be out-billed by the top local practices.

Lovells saw its fee income grow by 152% last year to E27.53m (£17.6m), according to a major survey of the top 100 French firms by Paris-based magazine Decideurs Juridiques & Financiers, while Herbert Smith was the second-fastest growing practice with fee income doubling to E21.6m (£13.8m).