SJ Berwin has posted a 40% increase in profits per equity partner (PEP) two years after the firm's PEP almost halved during the financial crisis.

The firm saw PEP rise from £447,000 in 2010-11 to £626,000, while fee income grew 5% from £171m to £179m.

The firm said the improved financials had come on the back of growth in its core practice areas, with a strong performance throughout its corporate finance, banking and disputes practices.

It also said it saw a "reviving" performance from its international offices in continental Europe and the Middle East, with solid rises in income in London, Paris and Dubai and a strong rise in profit in Germany.

The firm said in a statement: "We have had a successful 2010-11 and we have seen a rebound in our results. Our revenue has risen through steady growth in our core practice areas. We have seen double-digit growth in corporate finance, banking and disputes, the latter from an already high and growing base."

"Our profit growth is testimony to the successful work we are doing for our clients, and to working smarter and reducing costs. The numbers demonstrate very good prospects for further advance over the year ahead."

In 2009, SJ Berwin's PEP fell by 49% from a high of £801,000 to £410,000, on the back of a 14% drop in turnover from £215m to £184m during the year.

The firm's management spent much of last year negotiating a merger with US firm Proskauer Rose but was unable to pull off the combination due to a combination of ailing profitability and culture clashes. The firm hopes to be able to revive US merger discussions at a later stage.