Eversheds paid off a £20m debt pile in its last trading year, according to publicly filed accounts that show the law firm continuing to manage its finances tightly.

Limited liability partnership accounts filed with Companies House for the 2011-12 year show that partnership borrowings were reduced from £20m to just £639,000. At the same time Eversheds reduced cash in hand and at the bank from £20.4m on May 2011 to £4.8m by the end of April 2012.