US nationals Reed Smith and Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Nicholson Graham have built on recent UK mergers to reveal double-digit growth in 2005, as America’s top firms prepare for another bumper year.

The Pittsburgh-based duo saw revenue rise by more than 10%, with strong increases in average profits per equity partner (PEP). Fee income at Reed Smith was up 12% from $504m (£285m) to $563m (£318m), with PEP up 21% from $663,000 (£375,000) to $800,000 (£452,000).