Bird & Bird had something of a breakthrough year, with the intellectual property (IP) and technology and media leader shrugging off tough markets to step up its expansive form.

The result saw revenue up 29% to £186.3m, putting the firm into the UK top 20 for the first time and heralding a commanding pan-European position in its chosen markets.

The firm climbed six slots, from the 21st to the 15th largest law firm in the UK by revenue – overtaking Berwin Leighton Paisner, Denton Wilde Sapte and SJ Berwin in the process.

Meanwhile, it added 214 staff members and grew lawyer count by 28%, adding 153 – a contrast to most top 50 rivals, as the firm secured two mergers and opened six international offices through the year. The mergers were with 30-lawyer UK practice Lane & Partners and Finnish firm Fennica, both last year.

During autumn 2008, Bird & Bird rolled out an ambitious four-office Central and Eastern European launch in Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic and also opened an office in Singapore.

Given that the firm maintained such expansive form, a marginal 6.6% fall in partner profits will be seen as significant, as it outperforms most top 50 rivals.

Chief executive David Kerr commented: "Profits are important but more so is client service. If we deliver a high level of service, a reasonable level of profits will follow."

With its core practice lines less affected than more deal-focused rivals and Bird & Bird having avoided job cuts, the firm also managed a robust score in Legal Week's Employee Satisfaction Report.

Chief executive David Kerr commented: "It has been a tough year, but we have an interesting mix of business which has proved resilient. Our sector focus, together with our strong contentious capability in the IP and commercial areas, has proved to counter the cycle, and we have also seen a boost from the cross-border nature of our work."