The economic outlook may be brightening, but is this reflected in the financial performance of the UK’s top 50 law firms? Caroline Thorpe sifts through the 2012-13 LLP accounts to find out

The collective economic mood is guardedly upbeat. Recent data is promising: following five consecutive quarters of growth, the International Monetary Fund predicts that the UK economy will be the fastest growing in the G7 this year. Employment is increasing at record pace. UK GDP has even exceeded its pre-recession peak, according to the National Institute of Economic and Social Research.