FRESHFIELDS SERVICE COMPANY

Values shown as filed in the company's annual accounts. — indicates the figure wasn't present under that line item in that period. About these numbers

Margins divide P&L lines by turnover. Gearing is liabilities over total assets. Current ratio is current assets over creditors falling due within one year. Interest cover is operating profit over absolute finance costs. Sector-distribution context coming next.

Accounting basis

FRS 102

Reporting scope

Standalone (parent only)

Auditor

Deloitte LLP

Audit opinion

Unqualified (clean)

Going concern

Affirmed

“Based on the review of the current year performance, forecast budgets, and forecast cash flows up to the year ended 30 April 2025, the Directors have a reasonable expectation that the Company and the Freshfields group ("the Group") have adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future being a period of at least 12 months from the date of approval of these financial statements. As the Company is an integral part of the group headed by Freshfields LLP, the Directors have considered the financial position of the group as a whole when determining whether it is appropriate to prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis. The Directors have received a letter of support from Freshfields LLP which states that if required additional financial support will be provided to the Company for the foreseeable future being at least 12 months from the date of signing these financial statements. On the basis of this letter of support and their consideration of the financial position of both the Company and the wider Freshfields LLP group, the Directors have concluded that it is appropriate to prepare the financial statements on a going concern basis.”

Significant events

• “In July 2024, the Court of Appeal confirmed an earlier ruling by the UK high court on the Virgin Media Limited v NTL Pension Trustees II Limited case. This case may have implications for other defined benefit pension schemes in the UK. At the balance sheet date, it was unknown if, or to what extent, this ruling will impact defined benefit pension schemes in the UK and therefore no adjustment has been made in accounting for the pension deficit. The Company will monitor the case alongside the Trustees of the scheme.”

Auditor, going-concern and subsidiary information is drawn from the narrative of the latest annual accounts. About these numbers

Filings

4

last 12 months

Capital events

0

last 24 months

Officers appointed

1

last 12 months

Officers resigned

0

last 12 months

Direct counts from the register. No score, no rating — see the Filing timeline for the underlying events.

• Turnover

  +9.3%

  £420,700,000 → £460,000,000

• Cash

  +25%

  £400,000 → £500,000

• Net assets

  -63.8%

  £28,700,000 → £10,400,000

• Employees

  +2.9%

  1,745 → 1,796

• Operating profit

  +72.2%

  £12,600,000 → £21,700,000

• Profit before tax

  +11.9%

  £8,400,000 → £9,400,000

• Wages

  +11.1%

  £210,900,000 → £234,300,000

Each % is (latest − prior) ÷ |prior| for the line item as filed. The comparison is only shown when the latest and prior accounts cover broadly equal-length periods — short or long stubs (typical around incorporation or a year-end change) are suppressed rather than misrepresented. Lines a company doesn't report are omitted. About these numbers