"You are either seen as one of the good firms, or one of the bad ones – it's such a binary thing," laments a sector group head at Addleshaw Goddard on the firm's public image. "In the past there were days when externally we were getting good publicity, but internally we weren't sure whether it was telling the whole picture."

Like it or not, going into 2015 Addleshaws is suffering from a bit of an image problem. A string of high-profile partner exits and plunging profitability, combined with perennial cries of internal friction and criticism of both its domestic and international strategy, mean the national firm has had a tricky few years.

Its new five-year strategy drawn up just before Christmas, dubbed 'A Fresh Perspective' and driven by recently appointed managing partner John Joyce (pictured, bottom), offers the firm a shot at changing all that.