By Sara Merken

July 23 (Reuters) - London-founded law firm Clifford Chance on Wednesday reported its highest-ever revenue and profits, with U.S. revenue up 18%.

The firm said it increased overall revenue by 9% to 2.4 billion pounds sterling ($3.25 billion) and partnership profit by 11% to 944 million pounds ($1.28 billion) in its financial year that ended April 30.

Like other global firms with UK roots, Clifford Chance has pushed in recent years to expand its stake in the U.S. legal market, which is the world's largest. The firm has long had New York and Washington, D.C., offices, and in 2023 opened an office in Houston, where there are now about 40 lawyers. It also cited U.S. growth as a key revenue driver in its prior fiscal year.

Clifford Chance's U.S. work in the past year has included advising Reinsurance Group of America on its $32 billion reinsurance agreement with Equitable Holdings Inc.

The firm did not detail revenue amounts by region. It said its largest revenue increase was in the Middle East, where receipts rose 36%. The firm has four offices in the Middle East and North Africa, as well as a joint venture in Saudi Arabia that operates as a separate firm from Clifford Chance.

Other London firms have also begun releasing financial results for the last year under a requirement to file accounts with the UK government.

Rival firm Linklaters on Tuesday said it grew profit before tax to 1.08 billion pounds sterling ($1.46 billion), buoyed by a 57% increase in U.S. profits. The firm's revenue jumped to 2.32 billion pounds sterling ($3.13 billion).

Kennedys last month reported a 22% revenue increase in North America, reaching nearly 110 million pounds sterling ($148.78 million) for the region out of a total 428 million pounds sterling ($578.87 million) firmwide.

($1 = 0.7394 pounds)

(Reporting by Sara Merken)

((Sara.Merken@thomsonreuters.com;))