CMS achieves strong revenue growth in 2024

The firm's UK LLP revenue also saw an increase, rising to GBP 779.1 million for the financial year 2024/25, which represents a year-on-year growth of 6.0%. Stephen Millar, Managing Partner at CMS UK, expressed satisfaction with the results, stating "We have enjoyed another strong year of growth and expansion across our key markets in the UK, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, and the Middle East. Our ongoing investment in our people, technology and client relationships remains central to our growth strategy. All our core practice areas continue to perform strongly, with our disputes, finance and energy teams, in particular, enjoying an excellent year."

CMS Chairman Pierre-Sébastien Thill also shared insights during the announcement, saying “We're pleased that in 2024, the year in which we celebrated our 25th anniversary, we continued on our growth path. In today's fast-paced business environment, it's not just about providing expert legal advice and innovative service delivery, but also about being agile in tackling various challenges that affect both our business and that of our clients.” The remarkable growth for the year was largely driven by the corporate practice, alongside significant contributions from dispute resolution, real estate, tax, employment, and banking areas.

In its efforts to expand into new markets, CMS strengthened its global presence with several key developments. Notably, the firm welcomed Wistrand, a top-ten Swedish law firm, to its ranks as CMS Wistrand. Additionally, Prism Chambers from Mauritius became an associate firm of CMS Africa, and a new representative office was opened in Silicon Valley focused on business development and marketing activities.

With a vast network of 91 offices in 50 countries, CMS is well-placed to provide high-quality advice and service to clients in major business hubs across the globe. The firm is also enhancing leadership within its ranks, as Hubertus Kolster, Senior Partner at CMS Germany, was appointed Vice-Chairman of the CMS Executive Committee, joining other key figures such as Pierre-Sébastien Thill and Duncan Weston.

CMS took steps to strengthen its practice areas further by appointing new (co-)heads for various international practices. Among these appointments were Sam De Silva in London heading the CMS Commercial Group and Gaël Chuffart and Daniela Krömer leading the CMS Employment Group based in Brussels and Vienna respectively. Moreover, the firm celebrated the promotion of 54 partners across 17 countries, with women making up almost 41% of these promotions.

Recognising the importance of investing in its future, CMS launched its Learning and Development Charter in 2024, which emphasises its commitment to enhancing the skills and knowledge of its attorneys. The CMS Academy offers training opportunities aimed at lawyers at all stages of their careers. The Future Ready Leaders programme is particularly designed to equip leaders with the tools needed to define the firm's purpose, vision, and strategy.

CMS is also keen on leading the way in innovation, artificial intelligence, and legal technology. Significant initiatives in 2024 included the adoption of advanced tools such as Harvey and Microsoft Copilot, alongside comprehensive training on AI and legal tech advancements, ensuring that the firm remains competitive and forward-thinking in an evolving legal landscape.