Taylor Wessing has improved its financials at the half-year stage with the Anglo-German firm's global turnover up 4% on the same period last year.

The increase comes after the firm last year reported a 15% drop in H1 revenues to £77m, with this year's 4% rise increasing turnover to £80m based on that figure.

Taylor Wessing managing partner Tim Eyles (pictured) said that healthy activity in several practice areas had contributed to the small revenue rise.

He said: "Corporate has performed very well, and in particular private equity, which is an area we are growing. Financial institutions and markets also did well and real estate was up compared to the previous year. The patents group also had a good start to the year and is also up."

"It [£80m] is a good platform and things are looking positive for the next six months also. Based on general business confidence we are optimistic for the rest of the year."

Taylor Wessing this summer posted a 5.3% drop in firmwide revenues to £178m for the full 2009-10 financial year, while the firm's UK arm saw turnover fall 7.3% to £84.5m.

Average profits per equity partner (PEP) across the firm stood at £385,000, with PEP of £455,000 for the firm's UK LLP.

Taylor Wessing's results come after news of improved H1 financials at a large number of UK firms.

Berwin Leighton Paisner posted the largest H1 increase with a 30% boost, followed by Stephenson Harwood and Barlow Lyde & Gilbert, which both grew revenues by 17% over the six months.

Other firms to have posted H1 increases include Allen & Overy, Norton Rose, SJ Berwin, DLA Piper, Clyde & Co and Osborne Clarke.

Firms to have recorded a dip in revenues include Beachcroft and Eversheds, which both saw a decline of 3% for the half-year.