The UK’s top 50 law firms have grown their partner ranks by almost 6% during the past financial year, fuelled by major merger deals and partnership expansion in the face of an uncertain market.

At the close of the 2011-12 financial year there were more than 9,600 partners across the UK top 50 – a 5.7% rise from last year when partner numbers across the group stood at just above 9,100.