I’ve always found Slaughter and May’s obsessive secrecy around its financial results somewhat outdated and melodramatic. It seems at times as if they feel the need to maintain the mystique lest anyone realise that they are merely a very good law firm. But then I would say that as a journalist, I suppose, and at least no one can fault them for consistency in playing their profits close to the chest.
But there are some other City institutions where the commitment to openness appears to be having a minor wobble, at least with regard to first-half results. In particular, Freshfields, Clifford Chance (CC) and Herbert Smith have come over all coy despite in previous years usually giving revenue indications with a minimum of fuss.
