DLA Piper has posted an 18% drop in profits per equity partner (PEP) for 2009-10 after a year in which the firm was severely impacted by market turmoil in the Middle East.

The UK top 10 firm saw PEP fall to £527,000 from last year’s figure of £645,000, while turnover remained relatively static, dropping by just 1% from the total of £581m took in during 2008-09.