Denton Wilde Sapte saw partner headcount fall by 15% in the last full financial year before its US merger, the firm's limited liability partnership (LLP) filings have revealed.

The accounts show that Dentons' partnership shrank by 21 during 2009-10, from 159 to 138, alongside an 11% decrease in total staff numbers.

SNR Denton co-chairman Howard Morris (pictured) said that some of the departures had come in light of partnership restructuring, but that natural attrition had also been a factor behind the decrease.

He said: "Over a time period you will see a net increase or a net decrease in headcount. It is natural that in difficult financial times you will see more of a decrease."

The accounts also show that the firm's highest-paid member's profit share rose by 26% to £737,000 from £587,000 in 2008-09, after the firm reported a 20% increase in profits per equity partner (PEP) to £360,000 for the 2009-10 financial year.

Total profit before member remuneration and profit shares increased by 15% to £36.8m, while the firm saved £7.4m in staff costs – down 8% from £93.5m to £86m – after total staff numbers fell by 121, of which 58 were fee earners.

Dentons' audited turnover for the full year stood at £166.1m, a 3.3% decrease on 2008-09. The firm previously reported 2009-10 turnover of £167.5m but revised the figure after the weak sterling exchange rate was taken into account.

The firm's overall cash situation improved significantly from £8.7m in the red to £3.4m, in part due to a June 2009 cash call which saw each equity partner provide £1,000 per lockstep point, resulting in £7.2m of additional funding for the firm.

The news comes after US merger partner Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal recently announced its last financial results ahead of the combination, posting a 15% increase in PEP.